Liike: The design and development of a serious game for accountancy students

Abstract

Professional bodies regulating training for accountancy students posit that graduates lack certain professional competencies and skills in the workplace and it is evinced that there is a gap between the classroom and the boardroom. The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) call on lecturers to aid with the development of professional competencies and 21st century skills. Obtainment of these professional competencies and 21st century skills will prepare students to meet the challenges and opportunities of today’s business world. A growing body of literature on teaching and learning indicates that lecturers should amend their teaching practices and pedagogical framework to include teaching and learning of competencies and skills. Teaching and learning research across disciplines suggests that the use of games in the classrooms can help students obtain these competencies and skills. A serious game dubbed Liike has been developed for undergraduate accountancy students to not only address the professional competencies and 21st century skills they require in the workplace but also to afford students an opportunity to apply theoretical concepts learned across different modules. This paper presents the detail of the design and development process of Liike. Furthermore, the paper highlights the Liike design-oriented research goal and methodology. Ultimately, the key characteristics that informed the design of Liike are presented as lessons learned. In conclusion it is suggested that not all design elements are created equally when it comes to imparting professional competencies and 21st century skills. Incorporating specific game design approaches and drivers are also needed to tie-up with the required professional competencies and 21st century skills.