Peer Review

PowerPoint Jeopardy game covering master budgets, performance evaluation, standard costs, and capital budgeting in introductory managerial accounting

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: May 3, 2021 by Business

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:

This website contains a simulation in a game-like format in which students can review concepts pertaining to budgeting, cost analysis, and performance analysis. Students could compete as individuals or in teams as they review the relationships between budgeting, standard costing, variance analysis, and performance evaluation. It allows students to demonstrate their understanding in a low-stakes assessment format. The instructor notes are clear about how to run the game, which is in a Microsoft PowerPoint format.

Specific chapters covered in this review game are chapters 9, 10, 11, and 12 in Managerial Accounting, 5th edition, Braun & Tietz, Pearson Education, 2017. (The content should apply to other introductory managerial accounting textbooks as well.)

Type of Material:

Simulation

Recommended Uses:

In-class
Review
Lecture

Technical Requirements:

Requires internet browser to download the game and instructor guide files. Used Google Chrome, 64-bit, Version 89.0.4389.90 to access and download. Requires Microsoft PowerPoint to run the game activity and Microsoft Word to read the instructor guide. For classroom use, instructors would need projection technology.

Identify Major Learning Goals:

Explain how standard costs are derived and the determination of variances.
Demonstrate an understanding of favorable and unfavorable variances.
Analyze the effectiveness of capital budgeting decisions using ARR, IRR, and NPV.
Discuss the budgeting process and its relation to business goals.
Evaluate managerial performance using responsibility accounting and benchmarking.

Target Student Population:

Introductory managerial accounting students in class settings.
College lower division.

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

The format of this game requires prior exposure (such as class lectures, textbook readings, etc.) to the topics covered in the game questions which are standard costs, cost variances, master budgeting, capital budgeting, and performance evaluation.

Content Quality

Rating:

Strengths:

Activity includes enough, but not too much content, to provide an effective review of definitions and descriptions of previously covered material.
Appropriate terminology and concepts related to the broad categories of standard costs, cost variances, master budgeting, capital budgeting, and performance evaluation were selected for inclusion in the game.
This is a flexible tool to review many concepts in managerial accounting and reinforce how these concepts are interconnected.
The instructor’s notes provided with the material make it easy for instructors to use in a classroom setting.

Concerns:

Game is not self-contained in that it requires prior exposure to the terminology and concepts included in the activity, but if used for review only, this is not a concern.
Game format is well-suited for an in-class activity with a population around 20 or fewer students. However, the format, as a PowerPoint, does not lend itself to online courses or in-person courses with large numbers of students.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:

Strengths:

Could be used as a quick review prior to exams or as a reinforcement of the concepts as covered in-class sessions, readings, etc. so easy to integrate into overall curriculum assignments.
The game format does provide a high-level perspective for the instructor around evaluating students’ ability to match definitions and descriptions with terminology and concepts.
This is an easy way to measure understanding of desired learning outcomes regarding managerial accounting concepts pertaining to budgeting, standard costing, capital investment decisions, and performance evaluation.
It introduces a game-like atmosphere and can be used for individuals or student teams.

Concerns:

The game format (of Jeopardy) lends itself to progressively harder questions by category, but the topics and questions used do not take advantage of that opportunity.
Rather, most questions are at the same definitional knowledge level. The instructor guide does not include information on appropriate learning objectives for this activity other than a list of the categories and questions.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:

Strengths:

The game format is interactive and helps engage students in a terminology and concept review activity.
The game is self-contained in a complete file with an instructor guide for ease of use in class (although prerequisite knowledge is needed).
Game files are in commonly used Microsoft Office programs so enable use in typical classroom settings with computer and projection technology.
It is visually appealing and contains appropriate sounds that make it an excellent multimedia tool.
It is professionally designed and works well when projected in a classroom.

Concerns:

The instructor guide provides suggestions on how to implement this activity in a classroom setting, but no estimate of how much time is needed for completion of questions (31 total).
Although this game is designed for educational and not commercial use, the inclusion of the Jeopardy! logo, and perhaps some of the game rules/formatting/sounds, may not meet fair use guidelines.

Creative Commons: