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 Ratings
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| Reviewed: |
Dec 13, 2011 by Business Editorial Board |
| Overview: |
This online course/tutorial provides an explanation and illustration of activity based costing. The module distinguishes a traditional volume based approach for product costing to a more effective product costing system know as activity based costing. The module uses videos to demonstrate a real world application of ABC. The module contains several review activities that are useful for assessing the student’s understanding of key words introduced in the module. This module would be most useful for students who have missed the lecture on activity based costing or students who want a refresher of the material. |
| Learning Goals: |
Students should be able to:
Describe a traditional volume based costing system and compute product cost using a traditional method.
Describe ABC and compute product cost using ABC.
Analyze how data collected on cost drivers helps determine the need for a new costing system. |
| Target Student Population: |
Students enrolled in introductory managerial accounting course. |
| Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills: |
Basic knowledge of product costing is recommended. |
| Type of Material: |
Online course/tutorial |
| Recommended Uses: |
In class, individual, and homework. |
| Technical Requirements: |
This online course has been developed to work in current LMS (Learning Management System) platforms. The first page provides a test that can be used to determine if users have the correct browser settings configured.
It is not compatible with Internet Explorer 5.0.
May require the following browser plug-ins/configurations: Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Shockwave Player, Quick Time, Adobe Reader
May require software programs from the Microsoft Office suite |
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| Strengths: |
The lesson provides clear and concise coverage of content and is of high quality. A variety of media is employed to accommodate differing learning styles. The slide shows, in particular, provide clear and concise coverage of concepts. In addition, the practice sets are well designed to reinforce learning. A checklist provides students with the following tips to follow when completing work: Read the assignment. View the lesson. Test knowledge by completing review activities. Participate in lesson discussions. Complete and submit lesson assignments. The module is outlined using the above checklist. Videos are very good and provide real world insight into complex subject matter. |
| Concerns: |
The lesson is not completely self-contained as it makes reference to course assignments (exercises and problems) and reading assignments from textbooks that are only available through the publisher.
Some of the slide shows incorporated into the module are not relevant to the items being discussed. The module is about activity based costing, but one slide covers flexible budgeting and another covers variance analysis. The module has video inserted into the module and at its end. The final videos under additional resources are almost exactly the same as those introduced earlier. Having them appear twice in different locations, gives the impression they contain different information. |
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Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool |
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| Strengths: |
Very good coverage of costing systems that includes the traditional volume based and activity based approaches.
Concepts are covered progressively and build upon each other. The review activities help to reinforce learning.
Students can click on key words (on some pages) and the definitions will be displayed.
Review activities (flashcards, crossword, word jumbles, matching, and beat the clock) reinforce the key words discussed in the module.
Additional resources at the end of module include: Books/Articles, Apply Your Knowledge (link to the McGraw-Hill website to access a multiple choice quiz), and Media Resources. |
| Concerns: |
Since the slide shows contain information that is not directly related to the module, the instructor would need to discuss these items before assigning the material to students.
The text material displayed on the screen is not discussed in the voice over. The voice over is more general. It is difficult to read the text on the slides while trying to listen to the audio at the same time.
The Glossary tool at the top contains a link to every word in the related textbook, not just the key works in this module.
Several different review activities are provided, however, each one contains the same key words.
Students can click on icons to access additional resources. However, the icons that represent videos and slides shows are the same. The resource labeled as narrated power point is a video. |
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Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty |
| Rating: |
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| Strengths: |
This module includes a variety of media, audio and video clips as well as slides with charts and text to facilitate learning.
Practice sets give learners the opportunity to do exercises and receive immediate feedback. A variety of review activities using Flash Cards, Crossword, Jumble, Matching and Beat the Clock help to engage learners.
Navigation through the module is accomplished by the use of forward/backward arrows.
Some of the key words are highlighted and when you click on the highlighted word you can see the definition. |
| Concerns: |
The learner is unable to access all the tools for this module as the suggested assignments and reading assignments are external resources that are not readily available within this module. In order to get the full benefit of this module, student must have access to the publisher’s textbooks.
Use of arrows to navigate through the module is assumed to be intuitive. No navigation instructions have been included.
Links to videos and slide shows exist at the bottom of some pages, but these items are not mentioned and can easily be overlooked by students. |
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| Other Issues and Comments: |
This module is designed like it is intended to be an on-line managerial accounting course. It contains an introduction, course objectives, sample syllabus, and a suggested grading scale. However, it is only one item discussed in a managerial accounting course. |
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