Managing the Cost of Information Technology Resources in Accounting Education

The cost of information technology resources to support the leaching of accounting at universities can be prohibitive and a significant issue for technology managers in education. In many cases, these resources must not only be purchased by the university but also by each of the students. This can present a significant obstacle to both the university and the accounting students. Many university technology managers and accounting faculty may not be aware of the wide variety of quality information technology resources that are available for free. This paper provides an overview of free software and multimedia information technology resources that can be used to support a hands-on, interactive accounting education. Provided a personal computer with a Web browser and internet connection, students can have access a huge variety of exciting, interactive, and relevant learning material that is directly related to what they arc learning from the textbook and instructor lectures. Given the tight budgets of many colleges and universities, the no-cost aspect of these technologies can be a significant benefit.