Saturday, 12 March 2011 was a day that first year students registered for Financial Accounting will not easily forget. An experiential learning day was hosted by Ms Louwtjie Venter, a lecturer and Ms Sonnette Smith, a senior lecturer in the Department of Accounting for students who did not have Accounting as a school subject.

The 120 students competed in teams against each other, playing a business world simulation game where team members did not necessarily know each other. This facilitated the process of getting to know each other and promoted team building in a social setting. The students were then introduced to the Commercium board game which is styled as an interactive “Monopoly” game and allows students to compete against each other while learning about business transactions. Source documents and journal entries are recorded and the game culminates in a full set of financial statements for each group.

The opportunity for students to improve their insight and understanding of accounting forms part of an initiative to enhance first year student learning within the Department of Accounting. Following a joint research project by the Department of Accounting and the Department for Education Innovation, measures were implemented to supplement the formal instruction, and the Commercium day was one of those interventions. The impact of this event will be evaluated and the results will feed into the research being done. BDO, the fifth largest accountancy network in the world, sponsored the day and provided staff and tutors with T-shirts and all the participating students with earphones and calendars. They also sponsored many prizes to students.

Students now need to complete their documentation and submit this for marking to determine the final winning team of this learning opportunity. As soon as the winning team has been identified, a prize-giving ceremony will be arranged to announce the winners.