Peer Review

Debit/Credit Flashcards - Drill and Practice for Principles of Financial Accounting

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Feb 7, 2022 by Business

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:

For instructors who foster the traditional approach to teaching principles of financial accounting, these 25 interactive PowerPoint flashcards allow students to practice drilling the rules of debits and credits. The flash card feedback refers to the acronym EARLS to help students learn the debit and credit rules applied to increasing and decreasing specific accounts. Mastering and applying the rules of debits and credits is a critical concept essential to understanding the functions of the accounting cycle including how information flows through to the financial statements. Instructors can modify the flashcard questions to suit their specific needs.

There is also a diagram of the debit and credit rules (EARLS) in an MS Word document that will help learners refresh their knowledge before working with the flashcards.

Type of Material:

Assignment, individual practice, classroom exercise.

Recommended Uses:

In Class or homework

Technical Requirements:

The material was accessed with Firefox internet browser. It can also be accessed with Google Chrome.

The assisgnment requires the use of PowerPoint (version 2007 or higher) for flashcards and MS Word (2007 or higher).

Identify Major Learning Goals:

Identify whether increasing or decreasing specific accounts results in the account being debited or credited.

Target Student Population:

College Lower Division, College Upper Division

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

Prerequisite knowledge of the following concepts is essential: the accounting equation

pre-adjusting journal entry transactions analysis

the definitions of the terms debit and credit and the nature of debit and credit accounting procedures

the normal balances for typical pre-adjusting entry accounts

Content Quality

Rating:

Strengths:

The content aligns completely with the stated goals: to drill learners on objective concepts of basic accounting principles of debiting and crediting.

The diagram provides a shorthand for remembering the types of transactions and how they should be applied as debits or credits.

Because the content of the flashcards is mainly objective, there is little occasion for subjectivity in the answers i.e. nearly correct answers. Students' only choices are debit or credit.

The questions and answers are written so clearly that even a non-accounting learner can understand the concepts.

The layout of the flascards on a face-down grid gives the feeling of the "gamification" of the exercise.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:

Strengths:

The author clearly states the goal of the exercise: to practive the principles of debiting and crediting.

Using the flashcards and getting immediate feedback is so clear that a non-accounting student could understand this technical information.

The immediate feedback allows the learner to understand the difference between the incorrect and correct answers increasing the likelihood that they will remember the correct answer.

Efficient and adaptable to instructor/student needs

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:

Strengths:

A simple and elegant design. Easy setup and understanding for instructor to make use of this. The interactive game aspect should engage students fully.

Concerns:

There are clear instructions but they are somewhat complicated and require pracice running the PowerPoint before attempting to use it. Learners reading the instructions for operating the exercise might be put off by the description. However, once the program is started it becomes easier to navigate.

The instructions rely on (roll over text:"control+click" to access the card and to indicate that the u-shaped symbol in the card will lead back to the card selection page. However, this might make the instructions even more complicated.

It is not clear whether the exercise can be used successfully in conjunction with accessibility features like screen readers. Furthermore, the color combinations might be difficult for users with visual impairments.

Other Issues and Comments:: This game is easy to use, and will allow students to review and drill the basics of normal balances of accounts, as needed. This is a fun exercise that will appeal to learners of these basic principles and provide an incentive to get the answer right. Great resource, check it out!
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