Accounting for student diversity

The student profile at the University of South Australia has changed in recent years withincreasing enrolments of students from diverse backgrounds. This diversity is reflected inthe range of tertiary literacy skills among students who require support to facilitate theirtransition to university study. These transition needs, together with resource constraintsand institutional expectations, obligated a new approach to supporting students in largefirst year core subjects in the Division of Business and Enterprise.The modification of one of these core subjects, ‘Accounting, Decisions and Accountability’,to a more learning process oriented approach led to a shift in the teaching culture andlearning arrangements. The changes support students in making the transition to becomingliterate in accounting. One key element in the process of change is the framework providedby the institutional graduate qualities initiative; the other interrelated element is theintegration of explicit guidelines on the expected tertiary literacy and numeracy levelsrequired in the subject. The new approach to teaching provides learning support for allstudents by clarifying, developing and practising the required tertiary literacy skills. It ishypothesised that improved levels of academic success will be achieved once students knowmore precisely what is expected of them in terms of learning behaviours and assessmentproducts.