Bringing Technology into the Classroom: Some Thoughts for Business School Faculty

I. Importance of Technology to Business Schools

• Business school leaders believe "technology" is important for recruiting and placing students.
• BUT they often lack a coherent plan or resources to implement "it".
• Being an innovator in using technology in the classroom will not get you tenured at most universities.

 

 II.  Seek "friends" to help you implement technological innovations

• Meet people at your university's information service, library, or teaching center to learn how they can help you.
• Encourage students to use support services, such as a computer help desk or reference librarian, to assist with navigation skills.
• Set realistic goals on what you can accomplish each semester.

 

 III.  Teaching computer research skills

• Develop students' skills in using research databases
"Instead of giving them a fish, teach them how to fish."
• Choosing the appropriate target publication
• Choosing efficient and effective search techniques (key word, topical, statute, pronouncement)
• See my article, "Implementing Electronic Tax Research in a University Environment," with JoTisa Klemm, Issues in Accounting Education, vol. 11, Spring 1996, pp. 95-110.
• Scavenger hunts using free Web sites such as http://www.taxsites.com/
• Encourage university libraries to subscribe to Web-based research services to provide better access for off-campus students than CD-ROM or paper services.  For example, Web-based tax research from RIA Checkpoint at  http://checkpoint.riag.com/  or CCH at  http://tax.cch.com/
• Financial statement research services at  http://www.willyancey.com/firmdata.htm

IV.  Browse the Web to see what other faculty are doing

A few examples out of hundreds of interesting sites:
 

Directories of syllabi and other course materials

• American Accounting Association at  http://www.rutgers.edu/Accounting/raw/aaa/teach.htm
• Rutgers Accounting Web (RAW) at  http://www.rutgers.edu/Accounting/raw/resources/edu.htm
• Syllabits at  http://nsns.com/Syllabits/
• Distance education using the Internet at  http://www.willyancey.com/education_on_web.htm

Examples of course home pages

• Iowa Electronic Markets (U. Iowa) at  http://www.biz.uiowa.edu/iem/index.html
• Professor Debra Callihan (Virginia Tech) at  http://acctserver.cob.vt.edu/faculty/callihan/callihan.htm

Publishers

• Accounting and tax publishers at  http://www.taxsites.com/publishers.html
• Digital Springs, Inc. at  http://www.digitalsprings.com/

Maintained by Will Yancey. Please send any comments to wyancey@ibm.net