PROSPECTS FOR COMPUTER-ASSISTED TEACHING AND LEARNING IN SECONDARY SCHOOL ACCOUNTING CLASSROOMS

The purpose of this paper is to extend the dialogue about teaching, curriculum and pedagogy in the area of accounting education. The paper suggests and describes opportunities for computer-aided instruction in accounting classrooms. Examples of classroom computer applications suitable for teaching accounting lessons which include spreadsheets, presentation software, online games, simulations and drill and practice exercises are described together with suggestions of topics where such applications can be used. The paper concludes by contending that by virtue of their versatility, computers, can be used in accounting education to help to shift the focus of instruction from learning that is teacher-centred to learning that is student-centred, thus implying that computers bring with them a constructivist conception of teaching which shifts attention from teaching as the imparting of knowledge to teaching that engages students in that there is hands-on interaction with instructional materials in authentic problem-solving contexts.