Voices

AICPA prompts students to Bank On It in online game

The American Institute of CPAs is challenging high school students to Bank On it in their newly launched interactive, online game intended to help their teachers engage, entertain and educate.

The game, featuring more than 1,000 questions inspired by accounting textbook content, quizzes students on accounting fundamentals and real-world workplace scenarios within an online board game.

“Engaging students is one of the greatest challenges facing teachers,” stated said Joanne Fiore, AICPA vice president of professional media, pathways and inclusion. “The AICPA developed Bank On It to provide high school teachers with a captivating, interactive tool they can use to supplement their curriculum. Bank On It combines the tools of gamification and online learning in a way that will resonate with students and ultimately help them learn more about accounting.”  

Conceptually designed by high school students who won AICPA’s Project Innovation Competition, the game’s questions have been reviewed by CPAs and have incorrect-answer explanations and rationale. The game also includes real-life professional scenarios and classroom-taught principles.

“Playing Bank On It has really engaged my students and opened the door for them to ask questions in our Principles of Accounting class,” stated Kelly Gandy, a teacher at Demopolis High School in Alabama. “Students are excited to learn new things about accounting, and the game provides me an opportunity to expand on standards we would otherwise only discuss briefly. I recommend Bank On It to other teachers as a fun platform to challenge their students.”

The game includes two levels students can choose from, and then three sectors: business and industry, public accounting or nonprofit accounting. Students win by reaching the winning bank balance set before they begin, accomplished by earning money with correct answers and landing on strategic spaces as they move around the board. They can play against each other, other online players or the computer, with the option of playing up to 10 games simultaneously. The mobile-friendly game is also accessible on their smartphones.

“The AICPA designed Bank On It to provide a fun and challenging experience for students with different knowledge levels of accounting,” stated Fiore. “In addition, we chose specific questions and real-life scenarios that would provide students with a realistic picture of the different roles CPAs fill in public accounting, business and industry and the non-profit fields.”

Bank On It also provides a customizable experience for teachers who are registered on Start Here Go Places, where they are given a unique classroom code to distribute to their students and track their progress.

The game is available at startheregoplaces.com and for more information, educators can email startheregoplaces@aicpa.org.

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
MORE FROM ACCOUNTING TODAY