COVID-19 and emergency online and distance accounting courses: a student perspective of engagement and satisfaction

ABSTRACT Many face-to-face accounting classes were canceled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and were subsequently delivered exclusively in an online and distance learning format. This paper investigates the impact of this migration on accounting students’ engagement and satisfaction in the early stages of the pandemic. A survey was administered to all the students registered in the undergraduate and graduate accounting programs of a large state-funded university in Canada. The study finds that the variables stress/anxiety, social interactions, instructor strategy, technological accessibility and delivery mode flexibility are related to accounting student engagement, while social interactions, instructor strategy, and engagement affect satisfaction. Using factors previously studied in non-pandemic settings, the study shows what drives the extent of accounting students’ engagement and satisfaction during a health emergency. Practical implications include the importance of providing emotional/psychological support to anxious/stressed students, fostering frequent and easy interactions with instructors, and offering added flexibility through asynchronous instruction.