Educating and Inspiring Students: The Power of Providing Perspective

In addition to imparting subject knowledge and accomplishing the stated learning objectives, it’s important to prepare students to be professionals by providing them with perspective. This is especially important when teaching accounting as it promotes engagement, learning and reten­tion. With perspective, a student will gain a deeper appreciation for what they are learning as well as how the concepts being taught are used in the “real world.”

One day, when I was cleaning the attic and came across a box filled with my old notes from college, the importance of perspective became even more apparent to me. While my notes were faded, it was clear that I was looking back at the learning process of a student who had successfully grasped the material but was struggling to understand how things fit together and why they were relevant. At that time, I lacked perspective.

This experience that I had in looking at my old college notes underscored the importance of providing a thorough introduction when covering a new topic with my students. Specifically, providing students with an understanding of how the learning objective being covered fits into the larger picture of what is being taught and why the material will be important to know in their future careers.

Tell Your Story

It is my observation that students crave perspective and value the real-life stories that I often tell them about experiences I’ve had during the course of my career as an auditor as well as a controller. These stories play an important role in providing perspective in the classroom well beyond what is covered in the text or in a PowerPoint presentation. These stories engage students and bring the material to life as they learn the practical applications.

Bring it to Life

One specific approach that I have em­ployed to leverage my background and bring my professional experience into the classroom is to “role play” actual work­place situations that I have encountered. By utilizing this method, students are not simply memorizing the material but are truly learning, as they are immersed in a real-life situation and understand the context of how the concept can be applied. This is where the impactful and memorable moments occur that show how dynamic our profession can be.

This approach to learning is both engaging as well as compelling in the students’ eyes as the material takes on a deeper meaning beyond simply studying to achieve a grade. Students who have been given this valuable perspective are better prepared for their careers and what they will encounter in the workplace. I’ve heard the following feedback from students:

• “It made learning fun.”
• “It helped to make the subject relatable.”
• “It brought the material to life in a way that made it feel like more than just numbers on a page.”
• "The class will absolutely stick with me during my career.”

By providing context and real-life perspective in the classroom, students also gain an understanding of what will be expected from them when they enter the profession as well as learn how dynamic and exciting accounting can be. In addition, students become inspired and their interest in the profession grows as they gain a deeper appreciation for the diverse and important roles that accountants play.

In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly impacting all professions including education, professors who provide perspective, insight and authentic passion that genuinely inspires students is a differentiator that AI is unable to replicate. By providing students with valuable perspective in the classroom, educators will not only successfully accomplish the stated learning objectives but will also inspire their students, positively impacting their lives and helping to launch their careers. 

Peter C. DeSarno, CPA, MBA, MS, is assistant professor of accounting at Montclair State University. He is a member of the NJCPA and can be reached at desarnop@montclair.edu.