Using blended learning spaces to improve learning experiences in accounting education

Abstract

Lincoln University in New Zealand is located on the urban periphery of a large city. Because of a perception of the campus as being ‘‘distant’’ from city life, student numbers in recent years have declined. Recent earthquakes have further reduced student numbers – most notably for international students. Additionally, for accounting courses, low student attendance and poor preparation for face-to-face tutorials, along with a demand from students to be able to access learning resources off-campus, have led the Faculty of Commerce at Lincoln University to consider a wide range of delivery alternatives. As the literature reports that both traditional face-to-face lectures and distance learning courses have deficits in engaging students, the Accounting Group at Lincoln University has introduced a blend of environments that provide a range of learning options for students. Acareful weaving of online forums and chats, cloud-based lessons and web links with face-to-face lectorials and group work has been introduced into a number of courses. This approach has produced increasing levels of student participation and engagement. This study reports the findings of student focus groups and surveys, examines quantitative data from online activities, and provides reflections on the impact of learning experiences through a blend of learning spaces. While learners increasingly value online components in learning tasks, they are nevertheless still unwilling to forgo the opportunities which face-to-face contact with both peers and faculty present, thus providing support for the continuation of a blend of learning spaces.