ACC2021 : Understanding Company Accounts
- Offered for Year: 2022/23
- Module Leader(s): Mrs Gill Holden
- Lecturer: Mr Aidan Beck, Mr Donald Halliday, Mr Ben Dickson-Green
- Owning School: Newcastle University Business School
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
Aims
- to enable students to appraise a company's financial condition and performance from its published accounts, paying particular attention to the context of its operating environment and accounting policy choices
- To develop project management skills
- To develop team working skills
- To develop report writing skills
- To develop presentational skills
- To develop computer literacy
Outline Of Syllabus
Analysis of the business environment, ratio analysis, report writing, working in teams, work on presentations.
A 6000 word project and presentation will be carried out in teams of students, analysing a set of company accounts.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 60:00 | 60:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 14 | 1:00 | 14:00 | Pip Lectures |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 82:00 | 82:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 6 | 1:00 | 6:00 | PIP Seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 38:00 | 38:00 | N/A |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures materials and module talks will explain the aims, objectives, structure and operation of the module, students will be placed in teams and a company will be allocated to each team. Lecture material and learning and teaching on team working, self reflection and on the analysis and interpretation of company accounts will provide a framework for understanding the following key indicators of financial performance:
1. level of growth
2. profitability, cost structure and impact of accounting policies;
3. cash generation and liquidity;
4. level of investment as a safeguard for future profitability;
5. structure of a company's finance.
Students are expected to obtain relevant background information for example via the the library, which is well-stocked with periodicals and other relevant sources e.g. Financial Times, industry/economic reports etc. All students have the opportunity to consult with academic staff on a group basis throughout the module. Students are required to take the initiative to arrange team meetings, consultations with staff as required, and to play a full part in the work of the group. Team working, research and report writing skills are thus developed through the project as well as analytical and numerical skills.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | 2 | M | 60 | Group project of 6000 words |
| Prof skill assessmnt | 2 | M | 20 | 20 minute group presentation |
| Report | 2 | M | 20 | Multimedia self reflection (up to 5 minutes if video or up to 1500 words if written e.g blog, sway, poster) |
Formative Assessments
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prof skill assessmnt | 1 | M | Formative presentations for academic and peer to peer feedback (up to 10 minutes) |
| Prof skill assessmnt | 2 | M | Formative presentations for academic and peer to peer feedback (up to 10 minutes) |
| Report | 1 | M | written report for formative feedback, academic and peer to peer feedback (up to two sides A4) |
| Report | 2 | M | Written report for formative feedback. Academic and peer to peer feedback (up to two sides A4) |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Self and peer review will take place after the report and presentations, and individuals will receive the group mark adjusted according to self and peer review i.e. their own and their team members' assessment of each other's contributions to report and presentation. Each team is to keep a log of its meetings, which should be handed in with the project itself. The Module Leader retains the right to adjust individual marks where it is deemed necessary in the interests of fairness.
Non-engagement with the team and module materials may result in a student being considered as achieving 0 marks for the group part of the module.
The group report, group presentation and multimedia self reflection test the students' knowledge and skills outcomes without exception.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- ACC2021's Timetable