Synchronous (Live) Synchronous (Live) Class Sessions in Class Sessions in Online Accounting Online Accounting

ClassesClassesDr. Connie FajardoDr. Connie Fajardo

Professor and Program Lead Professor and Program Lead for Bachelor of Science in for Bachelor of Science in

AccountancyAccountancyNational University, California, USANational University, California, USA

cfajardo@nu.educfajardo@nu.edu

Want to have an engaging Want to have an engaging and interactive live class and interactive live class sessions in cyberspace? sessions in cyberspace?

Come and see how this is Come and see how this is done. Teaching and done. Teaching and learning in the confines of learning in the confines of your own room, but feel like your own room, but feel like you are in an actual onsite you are in an actual onsite classroom!classroom!

Poster Session ObjectivePoster Session Objective This poster session will focus on the This poster session will focus on the

incorporation of synchronous (live) chat incorporation of synchronous (live) chat sessions in online accounting courses. The sessions in online accounting courses. The technology allows application sharing technology allows application sharing whereby instructors can show on their whereby instructors can show on their computer screens virtually any software computer screens virtually any software application including Power Point application including Power Point Presentations, Word documents, and Presentations, Word documents, and Excel spread sheets. Both instructors and Excel spread sheets. Both instructors and the students should have a combination the students should have a combination of head sets and microphones. of head sets and microphones.

The ProcessThe ProcessThese live class sessions can be These live class sessions can be

scheduled once or twice a week scheduled once or twice a week lasting for one and one half (1 & ½ lasting for one and one half (1 & ½ hours) to two (2) hours. Enrolled hours) to two (2) hours. Enrolled students from all around the world students from all around the world can participate in learning chats can participate in learning chats that mimics onsite classroom that mimics onsite classroom experience. The sessions are experience. The sessions are recorded and students can recorded and students can playback in case they were unable playback in case they were unable to participate in a particular to participate in a particular session. session.

Theoretical ConstructTheoretical Construct AndragogyAndragogy is the art and science is the art and science

of helping adults learn (Knowles, of helping adults learn (Knowles, 1970). It focuses on the 1970). It focuses on the characteristics of adult learners and characteristics of adult learners and a set of assumptions for most a set of assumptions for most effectively teaching adults: self-effectively teaching adults: self-concept, experience, readiness to concept, experience, readiness to learn, orientation to learning, and learn, orientation to learning, and motivation. Adult learners need to motivation. Adult learners need to be self-motivated and to be active be self-motivated and to be active participants in their own learning. participants in their own learning.

ContinuationContinuation Kearsley (2000) in his Kearsley (2000) in his Engagement Engagement

TheoryTheory posits that the learner must be posits that the learner must be actively engagedactively engaged in a meaningful task to in a meaningful task to achieve effective learning. It states that achieve effective learning. It states that all learning must have three important all learning must have three important characteristics: (1) characteristics: (1) collaboration collaboration or the or the interaction among students, teachers, and interaction among students, teachers, and subject-matter experts via e-mail, subject-matter experts via e-mail, discussion forums, and conferencing, (2) discussion forums, and conferencing, (2) problem-basedproblem-based, which means that all , which means that all student activities involve completing student activities involve completing assignments or projects rather than just assignments or projects rather than just taking tests or exams, and (3) taking tests or exams, and (3) authenticityauthenticity where all course materials where all course materials and activities are realistic and directly and activities are realistic and directly related to the student’s interests.related to the student’s interests.

Instructions for Live Online Instructions for Live Online SessionsSessions

The chats will be learning chats, not just chats The chats will be learning chats, not just chats without any direction or desired outcomes. Chats without any direction or desired outcomes. Chats are conducted similar to class recitations in on-are conducted similar to class recitations in on-ground classes. I will call on a student to respond ground classes. I will call on a student to respond and only that student must respond. In this and only that student must respond. In this manner, the other members of the class can manner, the other members of the class can focus on the response of a particular student. focus on the response of a particular student. Please prepare your answers in advance to chat Please prepare your answers in advance to chat exercises, cases & problems to maximize your exercises, cases & problems to maximize your learning. Complete solutions for chats will be learning. Complete solutions for chats will be posted in the WEEK area. So far, in my posted in the WEEK area. So far, in my experience, this is the best way to give all of you experience, this is the best way to give all of you a chance to participate in an orderly and a chance to participate in an orderly and organized way resulting in more efficient and organized way resulting in more efficient and productive live class sessions. productive live class sessions.

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Once you have the Once you have the combination combination headset/microphoneheadset/microphone ( (Stereo USB Stereo USB Headset 250-highly recommendedHeadset 250-highly recommended), you ), you should log on to should log on to www.myonlinelogin.comwww.myonlinelogin.com. . Your Login ID is your Your Login ID is your 9-digit Student ID 9-digit Student ID numbernumber. You will need to . You will need to insert two insert two zeroes in front of the 7-digit number zeroes in front of the 7-digit number you have been using in the pastyou have been using in the past. . Your Your password (until you change it) is: password (until you change it) is: “national” in lower case.“national” in lower case.

ContinuationContinuation There will be eight (8) Live Chat sessions for this There will be eight (8) Live Chat sessions for this

course. course. Students are expected to Students are expected to participate in all chats and will be graded participate in all chats and will be graded based on the quality of your responsesbased on the quality of your responses (0-(0-10).10). Be sure to look at the Chat schedule to Be sure to look at the Chat schedule to determine what exercises or problem will be determine what exercises or problem will be discussed in the chat. Bring your book and a discussed in the chat. Bring your book and a calculator. calculator. Read and solve the assigned case Read and solve the assigned case or problem before you get to the chator problem before you get to the chat so so that you are ready to participate and the chat will that you are ready to participate and the chat will work out effectively and efficiently. Unnecessary work out effectively and efficiently. Unnecessary distracting remarks are not welcome, since those distracting remarks are not welcome, since those will waste time and prevent students from will waste time and prevent students from comprehending the topic being discussed. comprehending the topic being discussed. Please do not type on thePlease do not type on the text boxtext box unless unless you have no microphone to maintain the class you have no microphone to maintain the class concentration on the chat. concentration on the chat.

ContinuationContinuation For unavoidable circumstances, which you For unavoidable circumstances, which you

have to communicate with me in advance, have to communicate with me in advance, you can make-up the missed chats (the you can make-up the missed chats (the day day before before the chat by submitting solutions to the chat by submitting solutions to the chat assignment or the chat assignment or the day after the the day after the chat by preparing a one page chat by preparing a one page comprehensive summary of the chat comprehensive summary of the chat discussionsdiscussions ( (One to two pages, Single One to two pages, Single spaced, 12 font New Times Romanspaced, 12 font New Times Roman). ). Please e-mail to mePlease e-mail to me and label it as a and label it as a make-up chat and please save your file with make-up chat and please save your file with your name and chat no. being made up. your name and chat no. being made up. e.g. “FAJARDO. ACC 612M Make-up CHAT e.g. “FAJARDO. ACC 612M Make-up CHAT 1”. There will be no point (zero point) for 1”. There will be no point (zero point) for make-up if submitted beyond those dates. make-up if submitted beyond those dates.

Print Screen Shots of Live Print Screen Shots of Live ChatsChats

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ConclusionsConclusionsEngaging students in synchronous Engaging students in synchronous

(live) class sessions provides more (live) class sessions provides more opportunity for students to be opportunity for students to be actively engagedactively engaged in the learning in the learning process and facilitates their successful process and facilitates their successful completion of online courses. Students completion of online courses. Students demonstrate more positive attitude demonstrate more positive attitude and higher level of performance when and higher level of performance when online classes are highly interactive. online classes are highly interactive. Active learning, as opposed to passive Active learning, as opposed to passive learning, has become a key concept in learning, has become a key concept in the online classroom.the online classroom.

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As more universities incorporate As more universities incorporate live class sessions into their online live class sessions into their online courses, students who, because of courses, students who, because of location or commitments at work location or commitments at work or at home, are unable to attend or at home, are unable to attend on-campus classes, will have on-campus classes, will have available in their online courses a available in their online courses a learning environment that is learning environment that is comparable to the traditional face-comparable to the traditional face-to-face classroom experience.to-face classroom experience.