Bridging Vocational and Academic Demands in Accountancy Education

2. Developing the Tools of the Trade: Reconciling vocational and academic demands John English & Chris Ireland

3. The issues The students The problems Student perception of Accountancy Embedding PDP Academic Skills Possible solutions Evaluation Outline

4. 1) What are the main problems your new students have? What are the issues?

5. Ethnic mix/Cultural issues Age mix Male domination Entry qualifications Cohort Issues

10. FE Issues Attendance Independent learning – reading and writing Commitment & participation - what’s the point of this? Family issues Feedback on work Generally understanding what is expected of them Issues in Accountancy

11. Students Attending HUBS ASU

12. 2004/5 five classes at 16.15 Thursday

13. 2005/6 six classes at 16.15 Thursday

14. Needs to satisfy academic standards Needs to satisfy ACCA/CIMA requirements BA Accountancy & Finance

15. Needs to satisfy academic standards Needs to satisfy ACCA/CIMA requirements Difficult maybe - but not impossible unless we have another criteria: Graduate Employers! BA Accountancy & Finance

16. From your perspective what do employers in your field require of your graduates? What do Graduate Employers require?

17. Accountancy is all about numbers WRONG Problem – Perception of Accountancy

19. Accountants have to : - produce financial statements provide information for decision makers be critical thinkers write lengthy reports present to clients meet the competencies required by graduate employers Accountancy is not all about numbers

20. Year 1 counts as far as ACCA are concerned Less traditional academic writing in Year 1 No dissertation but plenty of traditional academic writing by Year 3 Problem – Skills and development

21. Develop a 1st year module to -Embed academic and vocational skills -Utilise formative assessment -Provide early contact with professional bodies -Enhance Personal Tutor/Student relationship -Include Personal Development Question around 2005Is there a solution?

22. Writing? Listening? Speaking? Research? Numeracy? Group work? Presentation? Reflection? Reading? (Time Management)? (Learning Styles)? ….. Which Academic Skills should be addressed?

23. Students’ attitude – negative Key Skills – 7, 11 etc Basic Skills Skills, skills and yet more skills They “think” they have enough Is Skills the right word?

24. CIHE’s checklist for students Cognitive Skills Generic Competences Personal Capabilities Technical Ability Organisation Awareness Practical and Professional Elements Is employability better?

25. Accountants in Organisations We needed a dynamic vehicle for embedding academic & vocational skills aka employability

26. Relevant topics – Structure, orgs etc Addresses Employability Competencies Reinforce PT system Introduce PDP & Life-Long Learning Formative Assessment Induction Week Programme Accountants in Organisations

27. Grad Co. Ltd – a placement organisation How does it work?

28. Applying for a placement – covering letter, CV, diagnostics, Doing the basics on the job – meetings, problem solving, data analysis and reflection Professional Body Business game - role play, pricing exercise, presentations. Are you up to the job – evidenced by a portfolio How does it work?

29. Feeding into short, medium and long-term It’s what Accountants would do anyway! Cross-years & modules

30. PDP

31. Academic Writing

32. Deficit Model Developmental Model Pragmatic Critical Detach Embed How does academic skills provision fit in?

33. with even the national press noting the skills deficiency. Firstly, in the Sunday Times 12 December 2002 Chris Woodhead responded to the following letter: It started as a perceived deficit …

34. Huddersfield University is advertising for “academic support tutors” to help students “with grammar” and “to read academic books”. How have we arrived at a state where universities are recruiting remedial teachers to help students with basic reading and writing skills? It started with a perceived deficit

35. Woodhead responded by explaining academic support tutors as the “inevitable consequence” of widening participation. It started with a perceived deficit

36. Academic Writing

37. Year 3 many students continue to have writing related difficulties. Therefore Year 3 continues to largely follow a deficit model

38. Academic Writing

39. Academic Skills Year 1 largely developmental. Formative Assessment Time Management

40. Writing - assignment submission in mid- October Various sessions of preparation but in recognition of learning styles some will need the experience of having tested the water (Pragmatists & Activists). Academic Skills within the Module

41. Presentations – four opportunities Term 1 Purely formative – only +ve feedback Term 2 formative +/-ve feedback After Easter formative - summative The final presentation includes a mark for practicing in the ASU and using feedback in the final version. Academic Skills within the Module

42. When students who have studied AIO reach the 3rd Year. 2008/9 & 2009/10 (placement) Placements (Employability competencies) Use of the Academic Skills Unit Evaluation

43. Students Attending HUBS ASU

44. More creative engaging sessions Reactive to internal & external influences/ideas Evaluation over 3 year period and beyond Research areas: - Writing Retention progression Embedding issues BMAF Conference The way forward