The internal control paper: Eductive and reflective learning

Abstract

The Internal Control (IC) Project required undergraduate students in introductory accounting to write a structured paper about the internal controls and weaknesses at a job at which they worked. Students had to view their practical job experiences through the lens of the course material on internal controls. For many, that view of their work changed their perceptions about the business and heightened their appreciation of their own experience and knowledge. This Educational and Teaching Note contributes to the reflective learning literature by integrating students’ real-world work experiences into the learning activities of an introductory accounting class, a strategy particularly beneficial for educating freshmen and sophomores. Students completed three distinct assignments – a short paper, a questionnaire guiding their reflections about their work experiences, and a satisfaction survey – providing a comprehensive learning experience. The reflective prompts on the questionnaire guided students in making inferences about their jobs' internal controls. An eductive approach to teaching was used, meaning to “draw out,” which also evoked reflective “Aha” moments for some students. The authors implemented the IC project at four universities – three in the United States and one in the United Arab Emirates – using qualitative techniques to assess the achievement of learning objectives. The IC project proved effective across the spectrum of contexts, irrespective of students’ socioeconomic status, college-readiness, or cultural backgrounds.