This course engages students in critical analysis of the major approaches to the formulation of an accounting theory. The features, similarities, differences and merits, or otherwise, of alternative theoretical approaches to analysing and dealing with contemporary problems facing accounting and accountants are examined.  

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. read more widely in accounting;
2. explain the role of positive accounting theory in explaining and predicting accounting policy choice and the behaviour of the capital markets;
3. critically evaluate the role of regulation in financial reporting;
4. research and analyse complex contemporary financial accounting issues, and formulate well-reasoned and coherent arguments and reach well considered conclusions in relation to those issues;
5. critically analyse a selected contemporary issue in financial accounting and to communicate effectively in writing;
6. apply the Harvard referencing system appropriately to written submissions.The specific learning objectives identified at the commencement of the lecture material for each of the topics are an integral part of the course/broad learning outcomes above.

Research-Led Teaching

This course builds on current research to examine contemporary issues in accounting, which includes research in other disciplines such as finance and economics. The course adopts an interactive approach to learning and teaching and draws from active learning pedagogies. Students are encouraged to be an active participant in the learning process.

Required Resources

Prescribed Text

Deegan, Craig. Financial Accounting Theory, 5th edition, Cengage, 2023.

Students are expected to have access to a copy of the prescribed book for the duration of the semester. The text may be available for short-term loan in the reserve loan section of the Chifley Library. An e-book version of the text is available from the Library (https://anulib.anu.edu.au/).

Recommended Resources

Prescribed Readings

Students will be required to complete prescribed readings each week to complete the prescribed tutorial questions. The prescribed readings for each week will be listed on Wattle in advance. Some weeks will require students to access journal articles from the ANU Library website - links for these will be posted on Wattle in the relevant week.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups and individuals

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Other Information

The greatest benefit from lectures is obtained by reading the relevant material in advance of the weekly lectures and participating in discussion during tutorials. Students are required to prepare the relevant set of questions in advance of attending tutorials and come to tutorials prepared to discuss the issues involved, and any difficulties encountered in responding to the set questions and areas in which they are in need of clarification.

ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS

Any student identified, either during the current semester or in retrospect, as having used ghost writing services will be investigated under the University’s Academic Integrity Rule.

COMMUNICATION

 

Email and the Wattle Course Website

Email and the Wattle course website are the preferred ways of communication.

If necessary, the lecturer and tutors for this course will contact students on their official ANU student email address. Students should use this email address when contacting staff as spam filters used by ANU may not allow other email addresses to be received. Information about your enrolment and fees from the Registrar and Student Services' office will also be sent to this email address.

Announcements

Students are expected to check the Wattle site for announcements about this course, e.g. changes to timetables or notifications of cancellations.

 

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction to course, contemporary issues - analysing the role of accounting in corporate failure	No tutorials in Week 1.
2	Introduction to theories and their application to accounting	Required readings will be indicated on Wattle.Tutorial questions will be placed on Wattle.
3	The Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting	Required readings will be indicated on Wattle.Tutorial questions will be placed on Wattle.
4	Positive accounting theory I – introduction and agency theory	Required readings will be indicated on Wattle.Tutorial questions will be placed on Wattle.
5	Positive accounting theory II – earnings management and accounting policy choice	Required readings will be indicated on Wattle.Tutorial questions will be placed on Wattle.
6	Regulation of financial accounting	Required readings will be indicated on Wattle.Tutorial questions will be placed on Wattle. Research and Referencing Exercise due this week.
7	Capital market response to accounting reports I	Required readings will be indicated on Wattle.Tutorial questions will be placed on Wattle.
8	Capital market response to accounting reports II	Required readings will be indicated on Wattle.Tutorial questions will be placed on Wattle.
9	Corporate Social Responsibility	Required readings will be indicated on Wattle.Tutorial questions will be placed on Wattle.
10	Alternative Measurement Approaches I	Required readings will be indicated on Wattle.Tutorial questions will be placed on Wattle. Research Essay due this week.
11	Alternative Measurement Approaches II	Required readings will be indicated on Wattle.Tutorial questions will be placed on Wattle.
12	Alternative Measurement Approaches III	Required readings will be indicated on Wattle.Tutorial questions will be placed on Wattle.

Tutorial Registration

Tutorials will be held weekly on campus (starting from Week 2). Tutorial times will be made available via MyTimetable. Two weeks before the commencement of semester, please check the MyTimetable website for details of tutorial availability and release.

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities/tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

Please see Wattle for tutors’ information.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Tutorial Presentation (10%)	10 %	31/07/2023	30/10/2023	1,2,3,4,5,6
Tutorial Participation (5%)	5 %	31/07/2023	31/08/2023	1,2,3,4,5,
Research and Referencing Exercise (10%)	10 %	31/08/2023	15/09/2023	1,2,3,4,
Research Essay (25%)	25 %	12/10/2023	27/10/2023	1,2,3,4,5
Final Examination (50%)	50 %	02/11/2023	30/11/2023	1,2,3,4,5,6

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Guideline and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Course delivery: on-campus lecture (recording on Echo360) and weekly on-campus tutorials.

Attendance at all classes, while not compulsory, is expected in line with “Code of Practice for Teaching and Learning”, clause 2 paragraph (h).

Examination(s)

Information regarding permitted examination materials for the course will be available on the examination timetable website when the examination timetable is released: https://exams.anu.edu.au/timetable/

Assessment Task 1

Tutorial Presentation (10%)

Due Date: In this assessment task, students will be allocated in the first tutorials in Week 2.

Instructions:

Individual students will be allocated set tutorial topics, in which they will present the topics and promote broader discussion with the class. The topic to be presented are available on Wattle one week prior to tutorials. The presentation will be assessed based on four criteria (n.b. these are evenly weighted):

1) Content of the presentation - understanding of topic, coverage of all key issues, and level of evidence and reasoning provided for responses.

2) Quality of the presentation - the clarity, structure and cohesiveness of the response, creativity and interest of presentation format, and keeping to appropriate time limits.

3) Efforts and ability to engage class and encourage participation in discussions, and respond and interact with the class and tutor.

4) Individual presentation skills - the effectiveness and communication skills demonstrated by the individual student.

To allow subsequent validation of this assessment task, students' presentations will be recorded during tutorials.

Feedback: marks will be released progressively throughout the semester as students present each week.

Return Date: The return date listed in the assessment summary is the latest possible return date.

Rubric

	High Distinction	Distinction	Credit	Pass	Fail
Presentation content	Excellent level of understanding of topic and theory with no discernible gaps in knowledge. All key issues are addressed in a careful and thorough manner. Arguments are strongly reasoned and well-evidenced.	High level of understanding of topic and theory with no gaps in knowledge. Key issues are addressed in full. Arguments are reasoned and evidenced.	Good understanding of topic and theory with relatively few gaps in knowledge. Most key issues are presented. Some reasoning and evidence for arguments.	Basic understanding of topic and theory with some gaps in knowledge. Some key issues are presented. Reasoning and evidence for arguments could be further developed.	Poor or limited understanding of the topic with evidence of gaps in knowledge. Lack of coverage of all key issues. Poor reasoning and argumentation.

Assessment Task 2

Tutorial Participation (5%)

Due Date: This assessment task is assessed weekly, commencing Week 2.

Expectation:

Students are required to prepare the relevant set of questions in advance of attending tutorials and come to tutorials prepared for discuss the issues involved, and any difficulties encountered in responding to the set questions and areas where they are in need of clarifications. It is expected that students will attend ALL tutorials scheduled for the course. A participation mark is included for critical in-class (tutorial) discussion. The participation mark is for PARTICIPATION and CONTRIBUTION TO THE DISCUSSION IN TUTORIALS, not for mere attendance. If you attend all tutorials but do not contribute to the majority of tutorials, do not expect to pass this part of the assessment. 

Weekly Marking Guidelines:

You will be assessed on your demonstration of the skills and abilities described in Learning Outcome 5 of the course:

1 mark - Demonstrates the ability to analyse complex issues and formulate well-reasoned and coherent arguments in reaching well considered conclusions.

0 mark - Do not demonstrate the ability to analyse complex issues and formulate well-reasoned and coherent arguments. 

Feedback: Marks for this assessment task will be released progressively in Week 6 and Week 12.

Assessment Task 3

Research and Referencing Exercise (10%)

Due Date: 4pm, Thursday August 31, 2023 via Turnitin.

Purpose: To ensure that students are in no doubt as to the level of referencing required in a scholarly paper, to critically analyse a scholarly article, and to identify and organise sources relevant to the completion of the research essay.

Instructions:

Students will work individually for this assessment task. This task will involve students completing exercises designed to support them in preparing for the Research Essay. The exercises entail identifying suitable references, critically reviewing journal article/s and referencing scholarly work using Harvard referencing.

Feedback: Marks and individual feedback will be released on Turnitin.

Further details on this assessment will be provided on Wattle in Week 2. Any word or page limit and associated penalties will be specified in the actual assessment task requirements.  

Assessment Task 4

Research Essay (25%)

Due Date: 4pm, Thursday October 12, 2023 (Week 10) via Turnitin.

Purpose: To critically analyse a selected contemporary issue in financial accounting.

Instructions: The Research Essay examines your ability to critical analyse a selected contemporary issue in financial accounting. Students will continue working individually for this assessment task. It is expected that your essay will be broadly researched, clear, well reasoned and argued, and that it will draw upon a considerable range of source material.

Assessment Criteria: The Research Essay will be assessed based upon the following criteria:

• Evidence of scholarly research: extent of literature review, relevance of articles, substantiation of arguments with references to literature.

• Depth and relevance of discussion: coverage and depth in the focus areas of the essay, demonstration of knowledge and understanding of theory.

• Critical analysis: level of critical analysis, argumentation, originality of ideas and insight.

• Written expression: effective language and writing (including attention to grammar and sentence construction), structure and coherence of the essay as a whole.

• Consistency with academic conventions: correct and consistent referencing, formatting and abiding by word count.

Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded. 

Feedback: Marks and individual feedback will be released on Turnitin.

Further details on the Research Essay will be placed on course Wattle website in Week 2. Any word or page limit and associated penalties will be specified in the actual assessment task requirements.    

Assessment Task 5

Final Examination (50%)

In-person exam with a duration of either 2 or 3 hours writing time plus 15 or 30 minutes reading time. Details will be provided no later than Week 10.

Centrally administered examinations through Examinations, Graduations & Prizes will be timetabled prior to the examination period. The due date listed in the assessment summary is the earliest possible date. Please check ANU Timetabling for further information. Information regarding exam script viewing will be provided on the Research School of Accounting webpage in due course.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations or assessment completed in tutorials (i.e. tutorial participation and tutorial presentation).

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material.

Returning Assignments

Assignments will be returned using the course Wattle site.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Students may not resubmit assignments.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Access and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students