TEACHING THE
ACCOUNTING INFORMATION
SYSTEMS COURSE ONLINE:
ONE INSTRUCTOR’S
EXPERIENCE
Presentation for the AIS Educator’s Conference
June 27, 2004
M George Durler
Emporia State University
1
Introduction
 Demand for On-line courses including
courses in AIS increasing
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By Students
By Administrators
By some faculty
 Summer course for satellite campus program
 Prerequisite for a Fall course
 Enrollment exceed expectations
 Satellite + on-campus + other students
 56 enrolled in 2003, 47 in 2004
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Course Structure
 Blackboard Course Management software
 Standard textbook – Romney and Steinbart 9th ed.
 Two chapters per week/15 total chapters
 Two assignments per chapter
Discussion question due on Tuesday
 Homework problem due on Thursday
 “Lecture” notes and supplemental material
 Threaded discussions of chapter material
 Weekly 50 point exams
 26 points from multiple choice questions
 24 points from essay questions
 Randomly chosen questions and timed to reduce effect
of “open book” nature
 Other projects
 Relatively simple spreadsheet – review of prerequisite
 Accounting general ledger software – Peachtree
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Course Content
 Introduction to AIS and AIS concepts
 Documentation techniques
 Flowcharting and DFDs
 Interpretation of REA diagrams
 Internal Control concepts and procedures
 Accounting cycles and related controls
 Database Concepts
 System acquisition
 Introduction to E-business
 Introduction to systems auditing
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Implementation/Problems
 Book problems
 Additional Discussion Forums needed
 Responding to student queries
 Frequently Asked Questions
 Students not following e-mail guidelines
 Time consuming effort
 Inability to provide adequate feedback
 Assignments
 Essay exams
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AIS Educator
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Results
 Comparison to same course face-to-face
 Attrition rates
 Average grade
 Student evaluations
 Exams
 Proctored filtered question exams for face-toface
 Open book, random questions, timed for
online
 Performance in follow-up course
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Changes
 Changes Implemented
 Need for better feedback
 One less week/fewer chapters
 Changed deadlines/opportunity to take exams
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Better consistency
Attempt to reduce need for exceptions
Better coordination with bookstores
 Other Future Changes
 Different book – considerable effort
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Need for more detail than face-to-face class
Publisher material will also be important
AIS Educator
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Recommendations
 Get help from an experienced online
instructor
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Most of what worked came from CIS professor
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Plan and Organize
Pace the course
Give as much feedback as possible
Pick a good book/find supplemental material
online
 Expect things to go wrong
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