A case for virtual guest lecturers: the experience of using practitioners in asynchronous discussion forums with an undergraduate auditing class

This paper reports on the adoption of a teaching strategy relying on computer-based technologies to enhance student learning. The use of asynchronous discussion forums (DFs) in an undergraduate Auditing unit at Southern Cross University during semester 2, 2003 is presented. This innovation in the delivery of Auditing utilised DFs for a task designed to link theory with practice by engaging auditing students and practitioners in discussions about current auditing issues. The paper reports the level of activity in two DFs, one moderated by recent graduates and the other by partners working in public practice, to demonstrate the extent of the engagement. Although not the focus of this paper, some content of the DFs is presented to demonstrate the very positive manner in which the DFs showed the relevance of the unit materials to current practice for the students.