ACCTG 101 : Accounting Information

Business and Economics

2020 Summer School (1200) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Business decisions require accounting information. This course examines the analysis and interpretation of general-purpose financial statements. It assesses financing and investment decisions and covers the role of accounting information to support planning and control.

Course Overview

This course focuses on understanding the reason why as well as how economic events affect a firm’s financial statements.  Rather than simply rote learning the impact of financial transactions on a companies’ financial statements, this course teaches you why accountants record the transactions the way they do and this will help you to explain financial statements in layman terms to other users. 

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Commerce

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Explain the importance of accounting information to the firm and its providers of capital and understand its communicative value. (Capability 1 and 6)
  2. Explain the time value of money concept and solve various present value scenarios. (Capability 1 and 3)
  3. Classify the basic characteristics of items included in a set of financial statements. Identify the impact of business transactions on the balance sheet equation and prepare simplified financial statements. (Capability 1)
  4. Explain and apply cost behaviour patterns to quantitative modelling techniques such as cost-volume-profit analyses and budgeting models. (Capability 1 and 3)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Quizzes 10% Individual Coursework
Assignment (1-3) 20% Individual Coursework
Test 20% Individual Test
Final Exam 50% Individual Examination
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Quizzes
Assignment (1-3)
Test
Final Exam

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect three one hour lectures and a fourth hour workshop (optional but highly recommended), three hours of reading and thinking about the content and three hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Learning Resources

Reading: The prescribed text for this course is – Birt, Chalmers, Maloney, Brooks & Oliver (2017) Accounting Business Reporting for Decision Making (6th Ed.) (also available as an e-textbook with WileyPLUS Learning Space). Material and questions from the text are discussed during lectures.  Additional questions from the textbook are used for self-study.  Information on how to buy the e-book or access the book in the library is available on Canvas. 
 
Course Book: The Course Book includes supplemental problems used in lectures, additional notes, and the latest financial statements for two well-known NZ companies.  
 
Canvas: Canvas is used to make announcements and to distribute student guides at the end of each module to the course book problems.  It is also used to quiz students each week online on the assigned readings and problems.  The quizzes may later be used for revision.  
 
‘Walk-in’ Help Centre:  Assistance by tutors is provided at the ‘walk-in’ help centre for students who have queries about the lecture material and assignments. The most useful approach is to have attempted the questions to course book problems or the assignment before arriving at the centre. The tutors are then able to provide assistance as to how to understand the question better or how to proceed in answering the problem. Please see the announcement on Canvas regarding the venue and times. 

Library 
The text book is available from the short loan section of the library 657 B618 2017 or it is available as an e-book. You are also encouraged to read more widely by making use of the university libraries and the Web.  There is a subject page available for your use (Library > Guides > Business and Economics > Accounting and Finance): 

https://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/guides/business/accounting-and-finance  

Librarians are available at the Enquiry desk on Level 0 of the General Library to help you all day every day so please ask there. 

Other Information

Communication  
ACCTG 101 has a generic help email address to which you should send all of your queries: acctg101-help@auckland.ac.nz.  This will be checked regularly and dealt with promptly. 

Your email communications should be of a professional standard.  Your email should have an appropriate subject heading (e.g. assignment query) indicating the type of query being discussed and should have an appropriate greeting at the start of the message (e.g. Hi Bill or Dear Bill are acceptable).  You should conclude your message with your Name and Username.  If we receive an email which is unclear or confusing we may request that you re-submit your email.  Emails can be addressed to an individual member of staff and will be forwarded to them.
 
We, the teaching staff, will communicate with you via email which is our main communication tool.  Please ensure that you check your University of Auckland email regularly.   

All announcements will also be made on Canvas. 

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Computer Supported Learning (Canvas) 
 Computer Supported Learning (Canvas) is a facility that can be used on your own computer or the computer lab to access information such as: 
  • Basic course information. 
  • Assignments and grades: This section includes assignments and quizzes for grading. Your course marks will contribute to your final grade, so please check that they are correct.  
  • Announcements: including times and venues for Help Centre, test formats etc. 
  • Modules: Basic lecture slides that the lecturer will go through in class. 
  • Course book problem solutions: Solutions to course book problems will be available to download after the material has been covered in class. 

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 07/10/2019 12:45 p.m.