Authors
L. Melissa Walters & Teresa M. Pergola
Abstract
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the International Accounting Education Standards Board (IAESB) identify spreadsheet technology as a key information technology (IT) competency for accounting professionals. However, requisite spreadsheet competencies are not specifically defined by the AICPA or IAESB nor are they clearly delineated within the literature on spreadsheet use.
Traditional spreadsheet pedagogy focuses on foundational navigational, functional, and formatting proficiencies often taught during introductory courses leaving students with only the most basic of spreadsheet. Unfortunately, this stops short of providing accounting graduates adequate skills to effectively perform the duties expected of accounting professionals.
Spreadsheets are generally poorly designed, contain serious errors, lack operational controls, and are often overlooked during risk assessment and audit processes. As a consequence, spreadsheets represent material misstatement and fraud risks and have thus evolved into significant control and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance concerns. Given the risk, control, and compliance concerns associated with widespread spreadsheet use, accounting students need more than just foundational familiarity with spreadsheet formulas.
The purpose of this paper is to identify spreadsheet competencies critical to accounting graduates and present a spreadsheet competency framework for integrating such competencies into an accounting curriculum. The spreadsheet competency framework presented in this paper offers guidance in three parts consisting of competency definition, curricular mapping, and illustrative assessment rubrics.
Sample
Accounting students will be technically proficient such that they can use spreadsheets to perform required duties and enhance job performance.
Accounting students should be able to:
- Understand spreadsheet functionality, business uses of spreadsheet technology, and control implications of spreadsheet use.
- Construct functional spreadsheets to support business needs.
- Develop reliable spreadsheets to support business operations, reporting, and compliance objectives.
- Evaluate spreadsheet performance, risk, and control.
Publication
2012, Journal of Instructional Pedagogies, Volume 9, October
Full article
Integrating critical spreadsheet competencies into the accounting curriculum
