Analyzing Business Issues—With Excel: The Case of Superior Log Cabins, Inc.

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan P. Convery ◽  
Amy M. Swaney
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Learning Objective ◽  
Managerial Accounting ◽  
Analytical Problem ◽  
Present Value ◽  
Accounting Data ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Advanced Level ◽  
Primary Focus

ABSTRACT This paper describes an instructional module developed for the principles of management accounting course to strengthen students' analytical problem-solving skills using spreadsheets. The module and all its components are presented first, followed by one of the four mini-cases used in a recent semester along with implementation guidance. The Analyzing Business Issues—with Excel (ABI-WE) mini-cases present a short business scenario, data related to the business issue, and a set of requirements to be completed using specific Excel functions from a directory of 40 covered in a semester. The mini-case itself is in Excel, so students can readily copy data into a solution worksheet. The primary focus is on analysis of the business issue using managerial accounting data, and the secondary learning objective is to develop an advanced level of expertise in selected spreadsheet functions; such as pivot tables, regression, if/then statements, V-lookup, conditional formatting, goal seek, and net present value.

Teaching Analytical Instrumental Analysis to Undergraduates in Specialized Degree Programs with Heterogeneous Prior Knowledge: Reflections on Inquiry Based Lecture Activities

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten Tucker ◽  
Peter Pingerelli
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Prior Knowledge ◽  
Instrumental Analysis ◽  
Forensic Sciences ◽  
Analytical Problem ◽  
Knowledge Gaps ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Instructional Assistant ◽  
Scientific Narratives ◽  
Modern Instrumentation

An adjunct faculty member and graduate instructional assistant (GIA) introduced inquiry-based activities into a 20-student undergraduate analytical instrumental analysis (AIA) lecture course, and reflect on their teaching assumptions, practices and experiences. The increased need for interdisciplinary scientific programs now has an AIA course serving multiple Bachelor of Science degrees in environmental sciences, forensic sciences, molecular biology, and secondary science education. However, we learned degree specialization also introduces into a course, student populations possessing heterogeneous prior knowledge, making an instructor’s rendering of student prerequisite skills a greater challenge. Guided by a pretest assessment, instructional activities were modified or developed by the authors and aimed at enhancing student engagement and motivation to mitigate prior knowledge gaps, improve analytical problem-solving skills, and facilitate a deeper understanding of modern instrumentation design and function. Detailed activity rationale and descriptions are presented. Activities included using readily available Internet bioinformatics and database tools for analytical problem-solving; demonstrating principles of electronic hardware and software design and integration; and creating interdisciplinary scientific narratives using biological, environmental, and industrial molecular exemplars. Our teaching reflections reference weekly post-lecture instructor/GIA discussions, strategic student questioning, collaborative classroom activity observations, and formative assessments. We propose continual instructional reflection is essential for a course serving multiple specialized degrees programs in a scientific field and facilitates preparation for students entering the workforce or graduate school. Further, our observations suggest inquiry-based, real-world activities relevant to modern instrumentation and its applications, assisted students in resolving heterogeneous prior knowledge gaps.

Using MATLAB to Enhance Engineering Students’ Analytical Problem-Solving Skills

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang-Wu Cai
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Mathematical Software ◽  
Analytical Problem ◽  
Mechanical Vibrations ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Analytical Skills ◽  
Symbolic Calculations

Symbolic analysis is one of the most feared tasks for many undergraduate students in engineering disciplines. Students argue that, without numerical values, it is difficult to make a sense out of a long expression. Instructors have experienced that students are diffident in such analyses; and they quickly lose interest in the topic. This trend has been enhanced with more prevalent use of computers in engineering curricula in recent years. In the senior level Mechanical Vibrations course, this author has experimented with an innovative procedure of using mathematical software such as MATLAB to enhance the students’ learning experience with extensive symbolic calculations. In this experiment, MATLAB is used as a rudimentary plotting device that allows students to plot curves. The procedure provides students a systematical approach to produce parametric plots from an analytical expression, and to validate the expression on physical grounds. This innovative procedure has changed students’ perception about long expressions, decreased their fear, and boosted their confidence in their analytical skills. All these help student to develop a more positive altitude towards symbolic analyses.

scholarly journals Computer Use and Immersion in a Non-IT course

10.28945/2811 ◽  
2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. David Brecht ◽  
Suzanne M. Ogilby ◽  
Eugene Sauls
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Computer Use ◽  
Cost Accounting ◽  
Computer Applications ◽  
Analytical Problem ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Current Technology ◽  
Accounting Courses ◽  
Multi Media ◽  
Convenient Access

This paper presents an enhanced strategy to incorporate computer applications in a non-IT course, called Computer Immersion Strategy (CIS). Previous attempts to fully incorporate current technology in accounting courses highlighted the failure of those strategies to enable or motivate students to master analytical problem-solving skills. In response to this crucial shortcoming, CIS was developed for use in a numerically technical but non-IT course - cost accounting. The CIS strategy marries seven pedagogical and computer-use techniques to develop student analytical problem-solving: 1) sequencing of problem-solving techniques versus concepts, 2) increased complexity of problems solved by students, 3) in-class computer problems solved by students, 4) more convenient access to necessary course files, 5) interactive in-class assignments on the computer 6) course projects requiring the use of the computer, and 7) multi-media lectures made available through the course files.

scholarly journals Mathematical Modeling And Computational Thinking

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-168
Author(s):  
John F. Sanford ◽  
Jaideep T. Naidu
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Modeling ◽  
High School ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Computational Thinking ◽  
Early College ◽  
Computer Language ◽  
Logical Thinking ◽  
Learning Problem ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Advanced Level

The paper argues that mathematical modeling is the essence of computational thinking. Learning a computer language is a valuable assistance in learning logical thinking but of less assistance when learning problem-solving skills. The paper is third in a series and presents some examples of mathematical modeling using spreadsheets at an advanced level such as high school or early college.

Assessing Collaborative Behavior in Students

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarina Krkovic ◽  
Sascha Wüstenberg ◽  
Samuel Greiff
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Collaborative Problem Solving ◽  
Seventh Graders ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Personality Tests ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Knowledge Application ◽  
Computer Agent ◽  
Collaborative Behavior ◽  
Confirmatory Factor

Abstract. Skilful collaborative problem-solving is becoming increasingly important in various life areas. However, researchers are still seeking ways to assess and foster this skill in individuals. In this study, we developed a computer-assisted assessment for collaborative behavior (COLBAS) following the experiment-based assessment of behavior approach (objective personality tests; Cattell, 1958 ). The instrument captures participants’ collaborative behavior in problem-solving tasks using the MicroDYN approach while participants work collaboratively with a computer-agent. COLBAS can thereby assess problem-solving and collaborative behavior expressed through communication acts. To investigate its validity, we administered COLBAS to 483 German seventh graders along with MicroDYN as a measure of individual problem-solving skills and questions regarding the motivation to collaborate. A latent confirmatory factor analysis suggested a five-dimensional construct with two problem-solving dimensions (knowledge acquisition and knowledge application) and three collaboration dimensions (questioning, asserting, and requesting). The results showed that extending MicroDYN to include collaborative aspects did not considerably change the measurement of problem-solving. Finally, students who were more motivated to collaborate interacted more with the computer-agent but also obtained worse problem-solving results.

Dimensions of marital conflict and children's social problem-solving skills.

1999 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherryl H. Goodman ◽  
Bill Barfoot ◽  
Alice A. Frye ◽  
Andrea M. Belli
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Marital Conflict ◽  
Social Problem ◽  
Social Problem Solving ◽  
Problem Solving Skills

Problem Solving Skills Training for Return to Work

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
William S. Shaw ◽  
Michael Feuerstein ◽  
Virginia I. Miller ◽  
Patricia M. Wood
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Return To Work ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Problem Solving Skills
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