The Future of Education

Course instructors are continually challenged to improve student engagement, update learning materials that improve student employability, and develop critical thinking and soft skills. This paper described the process followed by the instructors in preparing the learning materials, linking them to course outcomes, with the aim of increasing student engagement and introducing experiential job simulations and self-directed learning. This is compared to the students’ perceptions of using the job simulation in supporting the learning outcomes. The job simulation used is from the Forage platform and was selected based on its title and outcomes of introducing the subject of internal auditing. Data was collected from a single cohort of second year undergraduate students. The cohort is asked to reflect on their use of the learning material, and perceived benefits and drawbacks of using the job simulations. This research makes a valuable contribution to existing literature drawing on instructors’ and students’ experiences in the southern hemisphere, utilising job simulations developed for an international audience. It will be useful to course instructors in universities in assisting with developing course material to support job simulation and anticipating students’ perceptions of using job simulations.

 

Keywords: Job simulation, undergraduate audit education, student engagement

 

REFERENCES

 

[1] Adib, H. (2024). Experiential learning in higher education: Assessing the role of business simulations in shaping student attitudes towards sustainability. The International Journal of Management Education, 22(2), 100968. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2024.100968

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[4] Bautista-Mesa, R., Molina Sánchez, H., & Ramírez Sobrino, J. N. (2018). Audit workplace simulations as a methodology to increase undergraduates’ awareness of competences. Accounting Education, 27(3), 234–258. https://doi.org/10.1080/09639284.2018.1476895

[5] Blackford, B., & Shi, T. (2015). The relationship between business simulations in capstone management courses and standardized test scores. The International Journal of Management Education, 13(1), 84–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2015.01.005

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