When the AME course is used as a hybrid (blended) course, the online component does not replace traditional classroom training. It enhances it by providing students with a true lesson on accounting concepts prior to attending class. This double lesson reinforces the subject and has proven to create an interactive environment that accelerates comprehension.
Yes. AME courses typically take one semester to complete and can be customized depending on the time requirements and learning objectives. AME's instructional designers will customize lesson plans for each instructor in-line with their course requirements.
Moodle is a full-featured Learning Management System that is highly flexible, user-friendly, scalable and very stable. Many large colleges and universities such as University of Alberta, York University, Athabasca University have shifted to using Moodle.
Although some schools have tried a pilot of our approach before fully adopting it, their experiences have made it clear that a full adoption will have the benefit of bringing proven results to your classrooms in a more timely fashion. Instructors have commented that the transition to the AME approach was much quicker and smoother than they had anticipated. The following are some reasons that show why adopting an AME course has been proven to work successfully:
- Successfully used in other colleges and universities: Many leading colleges and universities such as Fanshawe, Loyalist, and Seneca have adopted AME's courses and have been witnessing successful results. Please email AME for a complete list of colleges and universities using AME courses as well as references for coordinators and instructors currently using the approach.
- Proven results: Colleges and universities using AME courses have witnessed reduced drop out rates, increased overall grades, increased comprehension levels and an overall change in the perception of accounting from being intimidating to a subject that is exciting and brings personal and professional value to students.
- University transferable credits: The course provides students with university transferable credits.
- Formal accounting designation: Students can earn first level credits towards their formal accounting designation upon completion of the Key Accounting Principles Volume 1 & 2 courses.
- Effortless for instructors: AME provides instructors with an effortless turn-key solution, including: lesson plans, in-class PowerPoint presentations, dynamic quizzes and test-banks, customized multi-version tests, midterms and finals, online support, and online tracking of student performance for AME’s online materials.
- Ease of teaching: AME instructor’s binder contains instructions for each chapter, and the CD contains screen shots of the online course. Instructors are also provided with one-on-one technical training prior to commencement of their classes. These combine to make delivering the course hassle-free and enjoyable.
- Ease of learning: AME’s major differentiating factors will ensure that students enjoy learning accounting:
Methodology: The AME system uses patented multi-sensory tools that are audio, visual, color-coded, and tactile. Students experience accounting by dragging tokens on and off the AME Accounting Map™ to simulate transactions, making financial accounting intuitive.
Sequence: AME’s courses commence with personal financial statements to create context for students. Through a step-by-step transition, students are introduced to financial concepts in a business and are taken through a sequential process of creating and analyzing financial statements and financial ratios.
Terminology: AME simplifies complex accounting concepts by using the language of ‘increases’ and ‘decreases’ before introducing users to ‘debits’ and ‘credits’. AME’s courses have simplified readability levels while achieving superior comprehension and retention of advanced financial accounting principles.
- The majority of students really like the online tutorials and quizzes. They are very interactive and make the subject much easier to learn. The online course makes most of the classes very interactive, as students are required to complete their online work prior to coming to class. This has also accelerated the learning curve in class.
- Students also like the in-class PPTs that are provided by AME. These have clicker-based questions and answers and animations to practice exercises in-class and have proven to increase student engagement. For those classrooms without clickers, instructors have found that the slides still stimulate engagement through a show of hands.
- Many students like the textbook/workbook format, as they only have to carry one book to class and have all their answers to refer to anytime throughout the course and in the future.
- Students also find that the text is less intimidating than others because it has many illustrations and is very colorful. The language is also very easy to read.
Instructors using the course agree that they have made the right choice. AME works closely with instructors to create their lesson plans, exams, tests and exercises. AME does not charge for this service and are very prompt in delivering these resources. This has freed instructors to a large extent and shifted their focus from administrative functions to delivering the course effectively to students.
As students possess a stronger foundation in accounting concepts and principles, their performance significantly improves when they move to their intermediate accounting courses. Students have a better understanding of the concepts and are clearly relying less on pure memorization than they would have with traditional approaches. Additionally, students are made to think more critically throughout the AME course and this prepares them much better for advanced accounting courses.
Yes it has improved retention and provided students with a crucial life skill.
Generally, there are three major success factors that instructors and administrators monitor: drop out rates, transfer rates and overall grades.
- Drop-out rates have reduced from greater than 18% to as low as 4%
- Transfer rates into higher levels of accounting have more than doubled
- Grades increased by 5 to 10 percentage points, on average, when testing the same student outcomes
AME courses have significantly improved student learning in numerous colleges and universities across North America. Students who are taking their first accounting course are exposed to the principles of accounting in a far less intimidating way, while students who have already been exposed to accounting in high school are given an opportunity to further strengthen their foundation in the principles of accounting using this highly contextual and intuitive approach. This improves the confidence of both of these types of students early on, translating into higher student engagement and interest in accounting.
The text has a powerful, visual impact with its use of colours and graphics. The AME Accounting Map™ helps students understand the relationship and effect of transactions to the accounting equation much quicker than the traditional presentation. Introducing concepts and principles in a personal accounting context provides students with an excellent frame of reference, making the transition to business accounting seamless enabling them to easily comprehend advanced accounting principles.