| Unit name | Accounting in Context |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ACFI10002 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Mrs. Sam Bell |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Accounting and Finance - Business School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
The aim of this unit is to contextualise accounting for students from both an academic and professional perspective. The unit provides opportunities to develop both academic skills needed for success in accountancy studies and employability skills needed for progression in professional accounting careers. Learners will engage with a range of contemporary accounting issues to develop a broad understanding of some of the key challenges facing accounting today and an appreciation of the impact that the accounting profession can have in a wider social context.
The unit aims to appeal to both those students seeking to pursue careers as professional accountants and those interested in further academic study in the field of accounting. Learners will engage with a range of University and external services which they can use to support their ongoing academic studies and professional development.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
The academic skills developed in this unit can be applied in a range of units as you progress through your programme. The unit helps you develop an appreciation of challenges facing the accountancy profession and potential solutions to these problems. You will start to develop your critical thinking skills and begin to critically examine arguments and evidence from both academic and non-academic sources. Through group work, you will develop both your team working and discussion skills. Assessment tasks will help you develop academic literacy skills required for success on our programmes and encourage you to reflect on your employability skills.
An overview of content
The unit will include academic skills, employability and professional skills and an introduction to a range of contemporary accounting topics. The unit will cover essential academic literacy skills to develop your academic writing and integrity and encourage you to engage with the services of the University Library. You will be given opportunities to reflect and will be offered support in career planning from both our University Careers Service, as well as external providers which could include liaison with accounting and industry professionals and professional bodies. You will be introduced to a range of contemporary accounting topics delivered by members of the Business School academic staff.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
This unit aims to support each student’s academic and accounting professional skill development, building confidence and self-awareness. You will develop a broader understanding of the accounting profession and some of the challenges facing the accountancy profession. You will develop your team-working, communication and collaborative skills both in the classroom by undertaking group work and outside the classroom via the group coursework project. You will become more aware of University services that can support you in your career and academic development throughout your time at University.
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
1: Recognise and demonstrate an understanding of challenges facing the accountancy profession and their potential solutions.
2: Demonstrate personal development of an emerging skillset suitable for early career accounting professionals or academics.
3: Evaluate the work of others and self-reflect on their own experience.
4: Work collaboratively in a group to communicate a response to a contemporary accounting challenge which demonstrates engagement with academic and professional literature.
Students may learn on this unit through a combination of interactive lectures, supporting tasks, discussion based tutorials and interaction with University and external services providing support for development of academic and professional skills.
Lectures and lecture activities will be facilitated by a range of presenters including not only academic staff from the Business School but also may include experts from our University Library, Academic Skills, Careers Service and Professional Liaison colleagues.
Through the tutorial teaching activities and self-study tasks you will be encouraged to engage in activities that contribute towards your own personal academic and professional development which could include engaging with professional or academic mentoring and careers guidance services.
Case studies and interactive activities may be utilised as part of the teaching process and students will be encouraged to engage with the discourse on the accounting challenges we cover both in the academic and professional literature. To do this you will be introduced to online tools and techniques you can use to discover and evaluate sources of information.
Group work during the course will encourage you to develop your communication and discursive skills and learn from the experiences of your peer group.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Teaching will include interactive activities to help you self-reflect on your academic and professional skills and development needs. Tutorials will provide opportunities for verbal feedback from tutors and peers to improve the knowledge and skills required for the summative assessment and you will be encouraged to engage with University support services to gain further feedback on your academic study skills and career planning.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
30% Individual exam assessment - 1 hour exam (ILO1)
40% Individual coursework assessment - An individual written submission of 500 words which demonstrates your professional or academic skill development and includes a self-reflective element, (ILO1, ILO2, ILO3)
30% Group coursework assessment - A group submission of a poster which investigates an accounting challenge related to a contemporary accounting issue studied on this unit. The enquiry should demonstrate professional awareness and engagement with relevant contemporary academic literature. Based on your poster, groups will be required to respond to two questions from the assessor, (ILO1, ILO3, ILO4)
When assessment does not go to plan
If you do not pass the unit overall, then you will be reassessed on the elements you did not pass as follows:
Individual exam reassessment (30% of final mark) 1 hour exam (ILO1)
Individual coursework reassessment (40%) An individual written submission which demonstrates your professional and/or academic skill development and includes a self-reflective element. (ILO1, ILO2, ILO3)
Individual coursework reassessment related to the group coursework assessment (30%). This will have two elements – a response to a question which will require the student to engage with academic literature related to a contemporary accounting issue covered in the course, plus answer a series of questions to prompt reflection on group dynamics and their own role with respect to the group poster project set in TB2, (ILO1, ILO3, ILO4)
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ACFI10002).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
