Introductory Accounting as Theater: A Look Behind the Scenes of Large-Lecture Production

Abstract

ABSTRACT Feeling like a bit of a thespian in class? Why not expand your class role and channel your inner Stanley Tucci or Kathleen Marshall? Large-lecture classes offer an opportunity to run a whole production. While much has been written about large-lecture classes, papers have tended to address the relative merits of these classes or some specific issue related to teaching them within a specific discipline. This paper adds to the existing literature by providing an overview of the day-to-day considerations, planning, and mechanics of developing and teaching a large-lecture introductory accounting course, by taking you on a behind-the-scenes tour through the pre-production and production processes for a large-lecture, introductory accounting course. It describes the pre-production process, including the following: understanding the audience, developing a vision for the course, identifying resource and financing needs, determining the cast and crew, designing the set, developing the production elements, casting the show, and rehearsing the show. Additionally, the paper describes the production itself, including the dimensions of acting, addressing problems that occur during the production, and managing intermissions (exams). The paper closes with a brief discussion of the critics.