Online Learning eBook

During this time of uncertainty and rapid change, we know you have questions about how our Accounting and Financial Management (AFM) program will be delivered come September. Rest assured, our staff and faculty at the SAF are planning to deliver the quality of experience you’d expect from us – whether it’s in person or from afar.

Despite current obstacles presented by COVID-19, we remain committed to delivering our unique model of experiential learning. Our faculty are working on plans that include academically challenging courses and hands on learning to help you achieve your educational goals. We’ll also make sure that you connect and build valuable relationships with classmates, staff, and faculty members, no matter where you are.

At the SAF, we’re always moving forward. In fact, we don’t wait for change to happen. We create change to turn opportunity into reality. Our current situation is no different. We’re pushing the boundaries of online learning by creating interactive and experiential learning experiences deserving of our students.

You can be confident in knowing that we’re committed to providing the highest standard of learning. We’re not training “traditional” accounting and financial professionals. Instead, we’re inspiring the next generation of leaders who will help drive change in all areas of society by redefining what it means to be an accounting and financial expert.

As a future-shaper of global economies, we’ll help you through this temporary, but disruptive time of COVID-19, by helping you leverage your ability to adapt, think like a problem-solver, and be a socially responsible team player.

It's normal to feel uncertain or apprehensive when faced with a new challenge. Online learning is no exception. That's why we've connected with our current students, staff, and faculty to provide you with valuable insight into our new (temporary) learning environment.

1. Learn how your SAF Crew can keep you connected to your community,
2. Hear how your professors are creating interactive and engaging online course,
3. Get an insight into the exciting online co-curricular opportunities we're developing for you,
4. Hear from our current students on how they've successfully navigated the online learning environment, and
5. Get useful tips and advice to polish your online presence for all your communications and presentation

Integrated within the academic and co-op elements of the AFM program is a co/extra-curricular program called, "SAF 2YEx", which stands for the two-year AFM experience. 2YEx aims to inspire engaged learners by supporting students' transition to SAF community, fostering their academic success, enhance their "people" skills, and preparing them for academic and employment choices they will make in years three and four of the program. The initiative includes experiential learning opportunities such as events, workshops, interactive webcasts, and team-based problem-solving situations both in and outside of the classroom.

A critical feature of SAF2YEx is "CREWS", which are teams of 5-6 students formed by the School. CREWS are an essential mechanism by which team-based learning and individual professional development is facilitated early in the program. CREWS are enrolled in classes together where group work is required. They meet weekly to discuss their progress and participate in a bi-weekly webinar hosted by SAF staff. These student teams meet three times per term with an upper-year Peer Support Learning Champion, who serves as a team mentor, progress coach, and engagement evaluator. CREWS also serve as a powerful two-way communication channel between students, faculty and staff.

Transition to online learning has been an interesting challenge for faculty. Learning new technology, creating an interactive online experience, and maintaining that in-person connection from afar are just a few learning curves faculty members have been navigating over the past few weeks.

Theo Stratopoulos, Associate Professor of Information Systems at the School of Accounting and Finance, has been teaching an accounting analytics course in California since February. When COVID-19 hit, he had a total of "one weekend" to switch his class from in-person to online.

Unfortunately, it wasn't exactly a seamless transition, according to Stratopoulos, admitting that the "first week was challenging," but quickly adapted to a new way of online learning using Zoom. Despite teaching from a distance, Stratopoulos has seen some positive aspects, including a constant attendance rate of 100% since moving online. His "office hours," which are for providing students with extra help, have also gone from students not using his services to an average of 4 to 5 students showing up every week "that's huge progress."

After returning home from California, Stratopoulos realized he would need to train his students to become comfortable with being an active participant using Zoom. His reasoning was simple; once the crisis is over, the education system and financial industry may want to continue using online tactics for holding meetings and presentations. Therefore, he made one substantial change to his curriculum "every week from that point forward; a weekly assignment had to be presented via Zoom."

Students certainly felt hiccups and glitches during their first presentation. "They did not know who was going to share his or her screen or who would advance the screen, so it was kind of a disaster in a sense." Knowing the issues, Stratopoulos encouraged his students to practice and "figure it out" before their next presentation. They did.

Moving forward, Stratopoulos is making it his priority to ensure his students have a "good experience" in the Fall Term. That includes making his course as interactive as possible and adding a personal component to ensure his students know that it's not just "some machine that's talking to you" instead, it's someone who "cares about you." He hopes by doing so; it will make online learning a positive and rewarding experience for all his students.

"facebook and WhatsApp have been the social media platforms we've frequently been using to keep up with schoolwork and each other's lives. By video-calling several times a week, we coordinate together to work on one of our major group presentations (AFM 121 Stock Pitch Presentation) and allocated specific roles to each group member to finish the project. Throughout the process of constructing the presentation, we worked together to ensure that everyone had caught up on the recent lecture videos and made sure to guide each other through the process." - Crew 37, Kyle, Alyzeh, Adshake, Hannah and Syed

"In a time of uncertainty, our Crew remained a foundation of support. The deep relationships our Crew developed over the past eight months has helped us all feel connected even when we are par apart." - Crew 32, Ricardo, Krishiga, Rain, Michelle, and Natasha

Get useful tips and advice to polish your online presence for all your communications and presentations.

Learning online in university

Camera Height: Ensure you're eye level with the camera. If that means you have to place books, egg cartons, a stand, etc. under your computer to raise it up, please do so. This will eliminate the visual of you looking down on your audience. Also, make sure that you're centered on the screen and framed from the chest up.

Lighting: When possible, use natural sunlight. If you can't use natural light use fluorescent or cool white LED lighting. This will provide a bright white look that imitates an office setting. Note, warmer lighting (orange/yellow colour) gives the impression that it was recorded at home. Having a light from behind your web cam, or on your desk shining towards your face will help illuminate and show your facial expressions.

Attire: To convey a professional appearance, we strongly recommend wearing business casual with hair styled and/or pinned back. For your attire, try to avoid bright colours like white or yellow and patterns, unless you're wearing a suit jacket over top. These bright colours and patterns can create unwanted light reflection in video recordings.

Audio: For audio quality (and to appear professional), you should consider wearing ear buds (instead of larger over-ear headphones) which pick up sound much better. Ideally, wearing ear buds that are wireless or have black wires to blend in with your attire.

Eliminate Distractions: Close the door and windows in your room. Shut off the TV down the hall. Silence your cellphone (and anyone else in the house/apartment). Make sure the only window opened on your computer screen is the video platform you are using and silence all pop-ups and notifications.

Reading Scripts: In order to appear more conversational and less like you're reading a script, we suggest practicing your lines several different ways until it feels natural. And don't forget to smile. Smile when you make a great point, smile when you introduce yourself, smile when other people are talking. It conveys confidence.

Always be prepared to seize an opportunity, whether it's online or in person - never underestimate your experiences.

Through our distinctive model of experiential education, AFM will have you ready to take on the future by:

1. Connecting with communities
2. Learning to adapt
3. Tackling real-world problems, and
4. Taking time to play

Best of all, you'll do it all in a flexible way that allows you to design your own academic pathway and career entry strategy based on what you really care about.

Find out more about the AFM program