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Seven disagreements about cooperative learning

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  • Evelien Opdecam
  • Patricia Everaert

Abstract

Accounting education faces significant challenges in many countries as it seeks to meet the demand of the profession in the twenty-first century. One of those requirements is that young professionals have teamwork skills. Therefore, many universities include group work activities in their curriculum. In the daily experience, however, students and instructors sometimes hold negative feelings about cooperative learning. Therefore, this article addresses seven disagreements on cooperative learning, frequently mentioned by students and instructors. In particular, (1) group work is only invented to reduce grading time; (2) putting students into a group turns them automatically into a team; (3) teamwork certainly has a positive effect on student satisfaction; (4) free riding, social loafing, or a reduction in effort are simply inevitable; (5) peer assessment solves all problems; (6) guiding teamwork is a piece of cake; and (7) teamwork reduces the individual student’s workload. The paper gives a voice to these issues and provides suggestions for improvement in relation to any or all aspects of cooperative learning in accounting education. A theoretical framework of cooperative learning is presented and ideas to overcome many (or all of the) problems on group work are provided.

Suggested Citation

  • Evelien Opdecam & Patricia Everaert, 2018. "Seven disagreements about cooperative learning," Accounting Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(3), pages 223-233, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:accted:v:27:y:2018:i:3:p:223-233
    DOI: 10.1080/09639284.2018.1477056
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Beverley Jackling & Paul De Lange, 2009. "Do Accounting Graduates' Skills Meet The Expectations of Employers? A Matter of Convergence or Divergence," Accounting Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(4-5), pages 369-385.
    2. Margaret Healy & Maeve McCutcheon & John Doran, 2014. "Student Views on Assessment Activities: Perspectives from their Experience on an Undergraduate Programme," Accounting Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(5), pages 467-482, October.
    3. Patricia Lee Huff, 2014. "The Goal Project: A Group Assignment to Encourage Creative Thinking, Leadership Abilities and Communication Skills," Accounting Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(6), pages 582-594, December.
    4. Irene Tempone & Elaine Martin, 1999. "Accounting students' approaches to group-work," Accounting Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(3), pages 177-186.
    5. Maria Cadiz Dyball & Anna Reid & Philip Ross & Herbert Schoch, 2007. "Evaluating Assessed Group-work in a Second-year Management Accounting Subject," Accounting Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(2), pages 145-162.
    6. Susan Ravenscroft & Frank Buckless & Trevor Hassall, 1999. "Cooperative learning - a literature guide," Accounting Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(2), pages 163-176.
    7. Elizabeth Gammie & Morag Matson, 2007. "Group Assessment at Final Degree Level: An Evaluation," Accounting Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(2), pages 185-206.
    8. Anne Daly & Simon Hoy & Mark Hughes & Jesmin Islam & Anita S. Mak, 2015. "Using Group Work to Develop Intercultural Skills in the Accounting Curriculum in Australia," Accounting Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(1), pages 27-40, February.
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    4. Wilkin, Carla L., 2022. "Developing critical reflection: An integrated approach," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(3).

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