BUSINESS – COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ACCOUNTING (BU111) COURSE ASSESSMENT
REPORT – SPRING 2016
Course Name: BU111 Computer Applications in Accounting
Sections Assessed: 1
Students Assessed: 22
Introduction
BU111, Computerized Accounting, is the upper level of the accounting sequence for the A.A.S. Degree in
Accounting, the QCC/John Jay Dual Joint Degree (A.S.) in Accounting for Forensic Accounting, the Office
Administration/Technology Certificate and is transferable to Queens College in the A.S. Business Transfer
Degree.
Learning Objectives
1. Identify how transactions are recorded in general ledger software
2. Produce accurate and timely financial reports
3. After completing your company from this project, draw information from the financial reports you
have developed to evaluate and critically analyze your company's financial condition. Logically develop
solutions to problems by making recommendations for the future.
4. Synthesize information from financial statements and other sources into a spreadsheet format (Excel)
to better analyze accounting information.
a. Incorporate formulas in spreadsheet.
b. Identify insightful patterns (Charts)
c. Construct possible scenarios (Scenario Manager)
LEARNING OUTCOME
GENERAL EDUCATION OUTCOME
Identify how transactions are recorded in general ledger
software
Produce accurate and timely financial reports
Reason quantitatively
After completing your company from this project, draw
information from the financial reports you have developed
to evaluate and critically analyze your company's financial
condition. Logically develop solutions to problems by
making recommendations for the future.
Organizes and synthesizes evidence to reveal trends and
patterns to inform discussion of what will happen in the
future, scenarios related to projections
Analytical reasoning
(a)
Incorporate formulas in spreadsheet
Reason quantitatively
(b)
Identify trends and patterns (charts)
Analytical reasoning
c
Construct possible scenarios (Scenario Manager)
Analytical reasoning
1
2
4
5
1
Communicate effectively
Information management & technology skills
Assignment
Assignment 1
OBJECTIVE: This project will summarize the computerized accounting you have learned in this class. By completing this
project you will actually be performing “real world” computerized accounting. After completion, you can feel confident
that you know how to utilize accounting software for companies and analyze reports to help make business decisions.
PART III
1) Move into the second month of business. Hire at least one employee to help you with your business.
2) Setup a Cash-payroll account if you have not already done so.
3) Record transactions (at least 20) for the second month of business, including two paychecks and payment of
payroll liabilities. Include at least one of each of the following transactions:
4)
Enter Bills
Pay Bills
Write Checks
Create Invoice
Cash Receipt
Receive payments
Make deposit
Adjusting Journal Entries
Transfer Funds
Credit Card Charges
Two paychecks
Pay payroll liabilities
Pay sales tax
Pay credit card balances
5) REPORTS :
Journal, Income Stated, Balance Sheet
PARTIV
1) Write a one page summary and your recommendations for your company.
a. What could you do to increase revenues?
b. What could you do to decrease expenses?
c. How is your cash flow? Calculate your current ratio for both months.
d. What could you do to increase your cash flow?
e. If you were going to advertise – what would you select to do?
f. Summarize what you have learned in your first two months of business and what would you
recommend to the owner of the business you selected.
Assignment 2 (Excel)
Huggins & Griffin
1. Create a cash budget for Huggins & Griffin from January through June to determine the firm’s ending
cash balances in each month.
2. Huggins & Griffin are thinking of obtaining a line of credit from their bank. Based on your calculations
for the first six months of the year, what is the minimum amount they will need to borrow?
3. Create three scenarios (best case, worse case, and base case) assuming revenues are either 10% lower
than expected, 10 % higher than expected, and exactly as expected. Use the Scenario Manager to
create a summary of your results.
2
Explanation of Evidence
Reviewed student submission of work:
Assignment 1 (Part III) – Journal, Income Statement, and Balance Sheet
Assignment 1 (Part IV) – Essay
Assignment 2 – Excel workbook with spreadsheet and scenario summary
Students will submit completion of the above two assignments for grading and assessment.
(Criteria in attached rubric will determine the percentages noted below)
Very good – Complete 85% of assignment correctly
Satisfactory – Complete 65% to 84% of assignment correctly
Poor –
Below 64% of assignment correct
Incomplete – Did not submit
Analysis of Assessment Results Obtained
The results of this assessment data provides an indication of the student learning objectives
that have been achieved in the Spring16 course of BU111. Out of 22 students in this course,
three have stopped attending by mid semester. This leaves a total of 19 students assessed.
The results (See Appendix for detailed results) are as follows:
Learning Objective
1)Identify how transactions
are recorded in general
ledger software
2) Produce accurate and
timely financial reports
3)Summary, conclusions,
recommendations
4)Excel spreadsheet
formulas
5)Excel What IF Analysis Scenarios
General Education
Objective
Reason quantitatively
Very Good
Satisfactory
Poor
Incomplete
16
1
1
1
Communicate
effectively
Analytical Reasoning
16
1
1
1
15
0
1
3
Quantitative
Reasoning
Analytic Reasoning
13
2
1
3
13
2
1
3
Overall, the assessment results achieved the desired results and were 89%, 89% and 79% of
learning objectives one, two and three for QuickBooks, respectively. The desired results for
achieving learning objective four increased from 54% in 2012 to 79% in 2016. All results meet
expectations, and could also be improved.
3
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
IDENTIFY HOW TRANSACTIONS ARE RECORDED
IN GENERAL LEDGER SOFTWARE. PRODUCE
ACCURATE AND TIMELY FINANCIAL REPORTS.
Assessment Tool
Part III of Project - Student completes two
months of transactions in QuickBooks for their
individual company. Student submits reports
(Journal, Income Statement, and Balance Sheet)
Artifacts
Attached
Very Good
Results 2012
Results 2016
Analysis
This learning objective had excellent results. It
has improved from 74% getting very good or
satisfactory in 2012 to 89% achieving the same
results in 2016. The weakness in 2012 of 4
incompletes improved to only 1 incomplete.
Recommendations
Continue the same assignments and assessment
through a project to be completed in
QuickBooks.
Shared with Faculty
Results will be shared with faculty teaching this
course next semester as well as with all
accounting faculty.
Assessment Plan Review
No changes required for assessment plan.
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
AFTER COMPLETING YOUR COMPANY REPORTS
FROM THIS PROJECT, DRAW INFORMATION
FROM THE FINANCIAL REPORTS YOU HAVE
DEVELOPED TO EVALUATE AND CRITICALLY
ANALYZE YOUR COMPANY'S FINANCIAL
CONDITION. LOGICALLY DEVELOP SOLUTIONS
TO PROBLEMS BY MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR THE FUTURE.
Assessment Tool
Part IV Project - Students complete an essay
evaluating results, analyzing current financial
conditions, and recommending future actions.
Artifacts
Attached
Results 2012
Results 2016
N/A
Satisfactory
Assessment Plan Review
No changes required for assessment plan.
Recommendations
4
Total
67%
1
7%
0
0%
4
27%
15
16
84%
1
5%
1
5%
1
5%
19
15
Shared with Faculty
Analysis
Incomplete
10
Very Good
This learning objective had good results. It was
not assessed in 2012 . However, 79% achieved a
very good and satisfactory rating. The weakness
in 2016 are 3 incompletes. This is primarily due
to some students not attending in the last few
weeks of the semester.
Continue the same assessment. Recommend
mandatory completion of this part of the
assignment. Discuss during classtime, this part
of the project to emphasize the importance of
completion.
Results will be shared with faculty teaching this
course next semester as well as with all
accounting faculty.
Poor
Satisfactory
79%
0
Poor
0%
1
Incomplete
5%
3
Total
16%
19
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
INCORPORATE FORMULAS INTO SPREADSHEET.
ORGANIZES AND SYNTHESIZES EVIDENCE TO
REVEAL TRENDS AND PATTERNS TO INFORM
DISCUSSION OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE
FUTURE, SCENARIOS RELATED TO PROJECTIONS.
DEVELOP AN APPROPRIATE EXCEL FORMAT.
Assessment Tool
Artifacts
Stujdents will convert and organize relevant
information from Case on Cash Budgets into
Excel spreadsheet format with formulas and
scenarios. Complete "What If" analysis.
Attached
Very Good
7
47%
13
68%
Results 2012
Results 2016
Analysis
Poor
2
1
13%
5%
Incomplete
5
3
Total
33%
16%
15
19
This learning objective has greatly improved
since 2012. While 54% achieved very good and
satisfactory results in 2012, this jumped to 79%
in 2016.
Shared with Faculty
Continue the same assignments and assessment
through a cash budget case in Excel. Assign
Excel work earlier in the semester and allow
more time for Excel work during class hours.
Continue to increase completion of project by
making the assignment mandatory or worth
more points as well as allowing more time for
completion.
Results will be shared with faculty teaching this
course next semester as well as with all
accounting faculty.
Assessment Plan Review
Assess Excel earlier in the semester.
Recommendations
Satisfactory
1
7%
2 11%
I would recommend that Excel be a larger percentage of the work done in this course.
Students would benefit from additional assignments in Excel throughout the semester. This
may need to be a gradual replacement of some QuickBooks chapters to allow time for
additional Excel assignments. This will be discussed with fellow accounting faculty.
Additionally, it would be helpful to introduce Excel in the middle of the semester rather than
at the end. This would encourage students to complete the assignments and possibly not burn
out by the end of the semester. This conclusion comes from the increasing number of
students who did not complete their assignments in a timely manner.
Additionally, it is important to note that students are increasing their learning of desired
objectives from 2012 to 2016.
An additional observation is that the material for QB is through a text, while the material for
Excel is on Blackboard. Requiring the students to purchase an additional text on the use of
Excel in Accounting, may be helpful to students.
Attached:
Artifacts for Project Part III – 5 students
Artifacts for Project Part IV – 5 students
Artifacts for Cash Budget & Scenario Summary -5 students
Detailed Assessment Results – Excel spreadsheet
5