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This chapter reports the results of a study of student performance in upper-level accounting courses, especially intermediate accounting I and cost accounting. Of particular interest is the performance of students who transferred the introductory accounting courses from a two-year institution versus native four-year students. We found that after controlling for a number of aptitudinal and demographic variables, transfer students performed at a significantly lower level than native students. On average, the difference was about 0.8 of a grade point. This study also provides evidence of grade inflation at two-year institutions relative to our four-year institution; documents a mean lag time of more than two years for community college students between taking principles of accounting courses and the upper-level courses; and shows that although the transfer shock lessens as the students continue in the major, it does not disappear. We also discuss the implications of our findings.

The aim of this paper is to illustrate how universities play an institutional role in inflating student grade point averages (GPA) by modifying academic polices such as course withdraw, repeats, and satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade options.

Three research strategies are employed: an examination of eight public institutions in a southern state illustrates the variability in academic policies; a transcript analysis demonstrates how students at some universities can capitalize on academic regulations to inflate GPA; and an empirical analysis of 1,798 graduating seniors at one institution explores the parameters of utilizing “do‐over” policies and how the policies correlate with GPA inflation.

Schools are transforming the “rules” of the academic game. Such changes enable students to selectively inflate their GPA, thereby rendering effective comparison of GPA problematic. This is of particular significance to administrators, governing and accrediting bodies, potential employers, graduate or professional school recruiters, and policy makers.

This study is cross‐sectional and the sample is restricted to one state and in some analyses one institution. Longitudinal research exploring a larger number of universities in a variety of states is necessary to uncover the determinants of any changes in academic policies.

The paper reframes grade inflation as GPA inflation, which is partially a function of institutionalized processes, and offers a remedy to the problem of GPA comparison. A new simple metric (EAR) is offered to accompany GPA; only when considering earned hours versus attempted hours (EAR) does grade point regain some utility to educators, recruiters, or policy makers engaged in assessment.

Because of the potential cost savings that online teaching evaluations can deliver, many universities are converting their student evaluations of teaching to this mode of administration. In this study, we examine the effects of transitioning administration of student evaluations from paper-and-pencil to online. We use data from accounting and other departments in the College of Business Administration of a large private, research university that converted from paper to online administration of teaching evaluations. We examine the average teaching effectiveness rating and response rate for instructors who taught the same course before and after the conversion. In addition, we survey a sample of accounting students to investigate their responses to online teaching evaluations. We find a significant increase in the average effectiveness rating and a significant decrease in response rate. Furthermore, we find that those instructors with lower ratings under the paper administration experience the greatest increase in ratings when the evaluations are converted to online administration. In a follow-up survey, we find that students who are highly motivated and have higher grade point averages are more likely to complete and provide higher evaluations with the online administration. We discuss the implications of our results to accounting and business education literature.

The purpose of this study is to identify which of factors are associated with student performance in advanced accounting and auditing courses.

Students enrolled in a highly diversified, commuter, public university located in one of the largest cities in the USA provided responses to 12 questions used as independent variables.

Of the three variables used as proxies for motivation, the grade the student would like to make in the course was found to be significantly associated with student performance, but intention to take the CPA exam or attend graduate school were not. Additionally, the grade in intermediate accounting II and grade point average (used as proxies for actual ability) were found to be strong predictors of student performance. Self‐perceived reading and listening abilities had moderate to strong associations with student performance, but self‐perceived writing and math abilities did not. Finally, holding non‐accounting‐related jobs, working high numbers of hours per week, and taking on higher course loads during the semester are factors which were, surprisingly, not significantly correlated with student performance.

No prior study that we are aware of has considered the associations between motivation, actual ability, self‐perceived ability, and distraction factors and student performance in advanced level undergraduate accounting courses.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of first generation peer mentoring experiences on retention, grade point average and students’ perception of their academic and leadership development.

This study utilized a mixed methods approach. Focus groups and interviews were utilized to determine the reported leadership experiences of the mentors. Descriptive statistics were used to compare grade point averages and retention rates.

The study found peer mentors in residential life perceived an increase in leadership skills; including role modeling, time management, personal confidence, and problem solving. The peers were challenged in their roles, and perceived these challenges to help them to grow as leaders. When compared to their peers, the peer mentors experienced increased retention and similar grade point averages. The results indicated that peer mentoring experiences can be beneficial for the mentors who are first generation college students, even experiences that are particularly challenging.

The biggest limitation to this study is the fact that this was a small sample, without a control group. A further limitation is that it was difficult to get students to participate in the study. Future research might examine peer mentoring experiences of first generation students on larger campuses or on multiple campuses to allow for a control group of first generation peers without a peer mentoring experience.

The results indicated that peer mentoring experiences can be beneficial for the mentors who are first generation college students, even experiences that are particularly challenging.

Due to the potential for their success, these types of experiences should be expanded for first generation students, a group that is at a higher risk for drop out. Special attention should be paid to ongoing training in peer mentoring experiences, given the level of commitment by the mentors.

While other studies have examined the impact of peer mentoring on those that have been mentored, and a few have examined the impact of the experience on the mentors themselves this study extends the research by looking at first generation college students. This is valuable because first generation students continue to lag in their success in college and practical research on what can improve the student experience for this group is necessary.

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether students perceive grade inflation as a problem. It questions whether differences exist in perceptions based upon gender and grade point average (GPA).

Previously validated scales were used to assess perceptions. The sample included 108 full-time traditional-aged undergraduate students from a private university.

Students do not believe A grades are given more than deserved; however, they believe some receive higher grades than deserved. Grades are seen as an accurate reflection of achievement. Neither gender nor GPA differences were found on grade inflation perceptions, although women believe faculty give higher grades to receive better student evaluations.

This paper combines student perceptions about grade inflation and analysis by gender and GPA.

This study sheds light on the prediction of success using cutoff scores for student grades adopted for a required Physics pathway course for study in a health professions program at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia. Data on course grade and GPA for approximately 10,000 students enrolled in this course between 2008–2014, were analyzed. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine cutoffs for course grades using ranges of GPA. This procedure has promise as a new method for quantitatively arriving at cutoff scores using an external criterion requiring less human judgment than most existing standard setting methods. The cutoff scores produced show that GPAs of students who complete the Physics course yield successive performance tiers that are lower than expected. In addition, the correlation between GPA and course grade for Physics is only 0.63 and therefore only 39% of the variation in GPA explains course grade. As a result of the findings of the study, the decision was made to maintain the existing standards thereby requiring higher grades in the Physics course for students seeking to enter a health professions course of study.

ﻧﺗﻟا ﺎﮭﺗردﻗو ﺔﯾدﺣﻟا تﺎﺟردﻟا ﻰﻠﻋ ءوﺿﻟا ﺔﯾﻟﺎﺣﻟا ﺔﺳاردﻟا طﻠﺳﺗ ﻲﻓ ﺔﺑﻠطﻟا حﺎﺟﻧ ﻰﻠﻋ ﺔﯾؤﺑﻲﻟوﻻا ءﺎﯾزﯾﻔﻟا ررﻘﻣ زﯾﻓ)145( ، دﻌﯾ يذﻟاوﻠﻋ ﺎﯾﺳﺎﺳا ﺎﺑﻠطﺗﻣكﻠﻣﻟا ﺔﻌﻣﺎﺟ ﻲﻓ ﺔﯾﺣﺻﻟا تﺎﺻﺻﺧﺗﻟا ﺔﺑﻠط ﻰ ﺔﻘﻠﻌﺗﻣﻟا تﺎﻧﺎﯾﺑﻟا ﻊﻣﺟ مﺗ دﻘﻓ ﺔﯾﻠﻋو ،ﺔﯾدوﻌﺳﻟا ﺔﯾﺑرﻌﻟا ﺔﻛﻠﻣﻣﻟﺎﺑ دوﻌﺳ نﻣ برﺎﻘﯾ ﺎﻣﻟ ررﻘﻣﻟا اذھ تﺎﺟردﺑ10000 ماوﻋﻻا نﯾﺑ ررﻘﻣﻟا اذﮭﺑ اوﻘﺣﺗﻟا نﯾذﻠﻟا ﺔﺑﻠطﻟا نﻣ2008 - 2014 .ﺔﯾﻣﻛارﺗﻟا مﮭﺗﻻدﻌﻣو ،م ﺗﻟو مادﺧﺗﺳا مﺗ دﻘﻓ ،تﺎﻧﺎﯾﺑﻟا هذھ لﯾﻠﺣ تﺎﯾﻠﻣﻌﻟا لﯾﻐﺷﺗ ﺔﯾﺻﺎﺧ ﻰﻧﺣﻧﻣReceiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) تﺎﺟردﻟا دﯾدﺣﺗﻟ نﻣ دﺣﻟاو ﺔﯾدﺣﻟا تﺎﺟردﻟا ﻰﻟا لوﺻوﻠﻟ ﺔﺛﯾدﺣﻟا ﺔﯾﻣﻛﻟا قرطﻟا نﻣ ﺔﻘﯾرطﻟا هذھ دﻌﺗ ثﯾﺣ ،ﺔﯾﻣﻛارﺗﻟا تﻻدﻌﻣﻟا نﻣ ﺔﻔﻠﺗﺧﻣ تﺎﻗﺎطﻧﻟ ﺔﯾدﺣﻟارﯾﺛﺄﺗﻟا .يرﺷﺑﻟا نﻣﺿ نﺎﻛ ررﻘﻣﻟا اذھ زﺎﺗﺟا نﻣﻟ ﺔﯾﻣﻛارﺗﻟا تﻻدﻌﻣﻟا نا ﻰﻟا ترﺎﺷا دﻗ ﺎﮭﯾﻠﻋ لوﺻﺣﻟا مﺗ ﻲﺗﻟا ﮫﯾدﺣﻟا تﺎﺟردﻟا نﺎﻓ ﺔﯾﻠﻋو تﻐﻠﺑ ﺔﺑﻠطﻟا تﺎﺟردو ﺔﯾﻣﻛارﺗﻟا تﻻدﻌﻣﻟا نﯾﺑ ﺔﯾطﺎﺑﺗرﻻا ﺔﻗﻼﻌﻟا نا ﺎﻣﻛ ،ﻊﻗوﺗﻣﻟا نﻣ لﻗا تﺎﻗﺎطﻧ0.63 ﻲﻧﻌﯾ ﺎﻣﻣ ، نا 39% نﻣتﺎﻧﯾﺎﺑﺗﻟا ﺔﯾﻣھا نﯾﺑﺗﯾ ﺞﺋﺎﺗﻧ نﻣ ﺔﯾﻠﻋ لوﺻﺣﻟا مﺗ ﺎﻣﻟ ﺎﻘﻓوو .رﻘﻣﻟا كﻟذ ﻲﻓ مﮭﺗﺎﺟرد رﯾﺳﻔﺗ ﻲﻓ مﮭﺳﺗ نا نﻛﻣﯾ ﺔﺑﻠطﻠﻟ ﺔﯾﻣﻛارﺗﻟا تﻻدﻌﻣﻟا ﻲﻓﺔظﻓﺎﺣﻣﻟا ﻰﻠﻋ ررﻘﻣﻟا رﯾﯾﺎﻌﻣﺔﯾﻟﺎﺣﻟا ﻊﻣدﯾﻛﺄﺗ لوﺻﺣﺔﺑﻠطﻟا تﺎﺻﺻﺧﺗﻟﺎﺑ قﺎﺣﺗﻟﻼﻟ نﯾﺑﻏارﻟاﺔﯾﺣﺻﻟا تﺎﺟرد ﻰﻠﻋﺔﻌﻔﺗرﻣ .ءﺎﯾزﯾﻔﻟا ررﻘﻣ ﻲﻓ

This study aims to consider assurance of learning among undergraduate business students enrolled in capstone business strategy courses using the GLO-BUS competitive simulation. Gender, academic major and business core course performance were examined.

Participants were 595 undergraduate capstone business students from 21 course sections taught over a four-year period. Variables included learning assurance measures, simulation performance, gender, major, business core course grades, capstone course grade and cumulative grade point average. Correlations, linear regression, multiple regression and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were used to analyze the data.

Learning assurance report scores were strongly related to simulation performance. Simulation performance was related to capstone course grade, which, in turn, was significantly related to the grade point average (GPA). Core business courses were related to learning assurance and performance indicators. Significant differences for gender and degree major were found for academic performance measures. Women and men did not differ in simulation performance.

Limitations include the use of one simulation (GLO-BUS) and studying students at one university taught by one professor. Assurance of learning measures needs further study as factors in business program evaluation. Future research should analyze post-graduate performance and career achievements in relation to assurance of learning outcomes.

This study conducts empirical analyses of simulation learning that focuses entirely on direct measures, including student characteristics (gender, major), learning assurance measures, business core course grades, capstone course grades and student GPAs.

This study aims to assess the relationship between anxiety with body concern, academic variables and food desire in undergraduate Nutrition students.

This was a cross-sectional study conducted with 173 students from the undergraduate course of Nutrition in the Midwest region of Brazil. Socioeconomic, academic and behavioral data (Beck Anxiety Inventory, Body Shape Questionnaire and Food Desires Questionnaire) were collected.

One-third of the students had moderate or severe anxiety symptoms. There were no differences between socioeconomic characteristics in terms of the intensity of anxiety symptoms. Students with minimal symptoms of anxiety had a higher average grade in the course, when compared to those with mild or moderate symptoms and those with severe symptoms (p = 0.001). It was observed that 46.2% had some concerns about their bodies and 11% had severe body concerns. The average grade was associated with anxiety so that 1 point in the global grade is associated to 54% (p < 0,001) less chance of having moderate; severe anxiety. In conclusion, average grade was associated with anxiety in undergraduate Nutrition students.

Average grade was a protection factor for anxiety in undergraduate Nutrition students.