STEM-oriented approach in teaching accounting: the experience of WUNU
As part of the Accounting and Taxation course, an interactive practical training session was held for second-year students of the Faculty of Finance and Accounting at West Ukrainian National University.
Practice shows that in the context of digital transformation of the economy, the importance of using modern information and communication technologies in the professional activities of accountants is growing significantly. That is why the training took place at the STEM laboratory of WUNU, where students, working with interactive panels and interactive tables, had the opportunity to deepen and consolidate the knowledge gained during lectures and classes. In particular, working with professional programmes on interactive tables and performing a set of practical tasks, students studied the structure of the chart of accounts, their classification, and the peculiarities of forming accounting entries.
The course ‘Accounting and Taxation’ is taught by Valentyna Panasiuk, Acting Head of the Audit Department, Doctor of Economics, Professor. Practical classes were conducted by Maria Shesterniak, Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor of the Audit Department.
The implementation of the project to create a STEM laboratory was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Vovk Foundation, an American non-governmental organisation that supports educational initiatives in Ukraine, and the BlueCheck Ukraine charitable foundation, which promotes the development of educational and social projects. A significant contribution to the implementation of the idea was made by the International Institute of Communications, a public organisation working to develop education, communications, leadership, opportunities for young people and Ukraine's integration into the global educational space.
The training session demonstrated the effectiveness of integrating modern digital tools into the process of teaching future accounting and taxation specialists.
Working in the STEM laboratory allowed students not only to reproduce theoretical material, but also to apply it in conditions that were as close as possible to real professional situations. Completing practical tasks in specialised programmes helped students develop solid skills in working with accounting information, analytical thinking, and readiness to solve applied problems in their future professional activities.
