News

Professor Joan Conrod of the Dalhousie School of Business was a key player in a national workshop designed to kick-start the careers of young faculty members teaching accounting in Canadian universities. Professor Conrod led the steering committee that organized and hosted the Teaching Development Workshop.

The intense two-day event was sponsored by the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA), and held in Charlottetown in May immediately prior to the Canadian Academic Accounting Association annual conference. Participants from across Canada, nominated by their deans or directors, explored the major competencies of the professional accountant, as seen through the eyes of leaders in accounting education.

The CICA-sponsored CA Academics Task Force proposed the workshop to CICA’s Council of Senior Executives. Professor Conrod was part of the task force, and agreed to lead the initiative as a sabbatical project. The workshop was developed to help address the profession’s concern that, over time, fewer accounting professors have a professional designation and/or professional accounting experience. Since university accounting faculties educate most future accountants, CICA is deeply committed to supporting quality teaching and learning.

The CICA Teaching Development Workshop focused on teaching skills, the professional context of accounting issues and the demands of the professional designation qualification in the accounting profession. Peer group interaction and support were also important. The workshop was hosted by Joan Conrod and facilitated by Sandy Hilton, CA, University of British Columbia–Okanagan; Susan McCracken, CA, McMaster University; Fred Phillips, CA, University of Saskatchewan; Irene Wiecek, FCA, University of Toronto; and Susan Wolcott, CMA, CPA, WolcottLynch Associates and CASB.

The facilitators emphasized a research-based framework, and modeled learner-focussed approaches, rather than teaching-focussed behaviours. Sessions provided examples of learning activities, with participants role-playing both student and instructor roles. This demonstrated “gold standard” learner-focussed, active learning classroom protocol.

The four primary sessions were based on content from financial reporting, managerial accounting, audit and the introductory accounting arenas. On the teaching/learning side, the sessions dealt with case teaching, learning objectives, assessment approaches, active learning exploration activities and course planning, delivery and assessment.

Participants rated the workshop highly, praising the sessions as informative, inspiring and well organized. The range of active learning activities and facilitators’ hands-on demonstrations of participatory approaches were especially appreciated.

Building bridges between the accounting profession and academically qualified accounting professors is an important initiative for academia and the CA profession. Professor Conrod is partnering with both groups to ensure the teaching strength of the next generation of accounting academics.