Abstract:

Students studying Level 6 Audit on their undergraduate programme and Advanced Audit and Assurance on their MSc Strategic Accounting programme usually study the audit of inventory using a virtual reality case study. This experiential approach enhances student learning (Butler, Church and Spencer, 2019).

There are many benefits utilising virtual reality when teaching accounting and auditing subjects one of those is bringing the experience alive through a real world case study. Students learn about their auditing or accounting topic by experiencing the case study through virtual reality headsets, providing students with an opportunity to learn by experience via the virtual business scenario provided.

Before lockdown, students accessed the VR inventory exercise via a VR app loaded on their own mobile phone devices and viewed using a VR cardboard headset in a face to face seminar session. In subsequent years, cardboard headsets were replaced with Oculus Go headsets, where the inventory app could be preloaded and ready for use.

In response to the Covid 19 pandemic the UK Government implemented a countrywide lockdown on 23rd of March 2020. As a result, it was impossible to use the university’s VR headsets as both students and instructors were now home based.

With the intention of continuing to provide a close to normal learning experience for all students enrolled on the module the instructors decided to provide an alternative to the VR experience using video case studies which students could view on their own devices (laptop, PC, tablet or smartphone) either as a flat screen video or via a VR headset (if available).

An alternative approach was needed as the option of procuring cardboard virtual reality headsets and arranging delivery to students across the globe would be too expensive and time consuming, leaving insufficient time before the module started. Hence, the alternative to VR headsets needed to be a purely online experience.

An alternative experiential approach was implemented using 360-degree videos as a revision and learning tool. Students provided feedback on the effectiveness of the video case studies on their learning and exam preparation via a questionnaire with positive results. Findings from student responses indicate they found the method of learning more enjoyable than traditional case studies and it provided a better context of their auditing learning. Furthermore, students indicated they would like more video case studies in the future as an addition to their current traditional learning. Furthermore, students felt their other modules would benefit from using video case studies.

Students provided feedback on the effectiveness of the video case studies on their learning and exam preparation via a questionnaire with positive results.

Findings from student responses include:
- Students found the method of learning more enjoyable than traditional case studies.
- Helped students to understand the context of auditing.
- Students would like to see more video case studies in the future alongside their current questions.
- All students felt their other modules would benefit from using video case studies.

References:
[1] Butler, M.G, Church, K.S. & Spencer, A.W. (2019), Do, reflect, think, apply: Experiential education in accounting, Journal of Accounting Education, Volume 48, Pages 12-21.

Keywords:

Online learning innovation, Video case studies, Inventory, Auditing education, Covid learning.