Accounting Students' Skills Tested During Campus Amazing Race

The School of Finance and Accounting at Emeris Durban North recently transformed learning into a race against the clock when 107 third year IIE Bachelor of Accounting students participated in its annual Amazing Race.

Designed as an out of the box learning experience, the initiative challenged the students to swap the lecture room for an action packed race across campus, where teamwork, critical thinking and problem solving were just as important as accounting knowledge.

Students were divided into 12 teams and raced between eight stations, deciphering clues that led them to their next destination. At each stop, they tackled interactive challenges based on their four core disciplines: Financial Accounting, Taxation, Auditing and Management Accounting and Finance. The activities included word searches, puzzles, quizzes and Pictionary style tasks, with each completed challenge unlocking the next clue.

"The Amazing Race is a beyond the curriculum initiative which incorporates gamification into learning while strengthening the relational, business and decision making competencies required by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) competency framework”, explained Tasnim Bassa (Finance and Accounting Lecturer Emeris Durban North).

The annual event is a collaborative effort which staff members from departments across the campus volunteer to run the stations as teams race from one challenge to the next in pursuit of victory.

"As Accounting people, we are very competitive”, laughed Tamara Naidoo (Senior Finance and Accounting Lecturer at Emeris Durban North). "No matter the final positions, every student should feel proud of the skills they developed and the way they showed up on the day".

Team Orange claimed first place. The winning team comprised Andrew James Law, Anele Mbele, Aryan Deonarain, Aryanna Francis, Ayush Goordeen, Brandon Dengler, Cameron Govender, Casey Alex Jones and Chase Rungiah.

Reflecting on the win, Rungiah said teamwork was the key to their success. "We all had different strengths, which we applied to the different tasks. Each station related to our modules, so you had to know your work in order to move on. It was a very enjoyable experience," he said.

Team Purple finished in second place and consisted of Mohammed Yusuf Arbee, Muhammad Essack, Muhammad Yusuf Randeree, Muhammad Farooq Amra, Nabeel Vally, Nakeisha Govender, Naseerah Bux, Nazmirah Shaik, Neha Elina Bodri and Nicholas Anthony Naidoo.

"This was loads of fun and we learnt more from this experience than we would have from a presentation. It forced us to think under pressure like we would in the workplace," said Vally.

One of their favourite challenges was the word searches and crosswords.

Naidoo said the students embraced the fast paced nature of the race with enthusiasm, determination and healthy competition.

"They participated actively, interacted positively with both peers and facilitators and managed disagreements constructively. This initiative aimed to develop and enhance students' relational and decision making competencies, and that goal was clearly achieved. The students demonstrated these skills in a lively, engaging and enjoyable way," she concluded.