Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Searchable Database and Portal for Incorporating Fraud Cases into Accounting Courses

• In Event: Reception with ELS Posters

Abstract

It is well known that teaching cases are an effective tool to achieve student learning. The primary objective of this project is to encourage instructors to incorporate fraud and forensic accounting cases into their accounting and fraud examination classes by making it easier for them to choose cases that are pertinent to their specific goals. The project classifies a large number of fraud-related cases using several attributes to allow instructors to narrow down the cases to those that best match their needs. This portion of the project involved the creation of a web-based searchable database and portal to facilitate the process of choosing cases. The implementation stage of the project developed into a collaboration between accounting and computer science faculty, as well as students in the computer science program, to create a searchable database that could be accessed via the web by interested faculty. The web-based database and portal are operational. A demonstration of the database will be included and anyone interested may try it out. The pros and cons of a cross-disciplinary collaboration will be illustrated as well.

Author

• Patricia A Johnson, Canisius College