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The study explores how collaborative based exams (CLBE) affect specified learning outcomes in an Accounting Theory course for final year 'accounting major' students. The study proposes Accounting Theory as an avenue to improve the qualitative and problem-solving skills of accounting students and collaborative learning (CL) as a mechanism to enhance students' teamwork skills. The study uses a mixed-methods approach, applying a quantitative method in analysing the relationships and then using focus groups to gain insights about students' reaction to CL and collaborative based exams (CLBE). The results confirm that collaborative based exams (CLBE) after a CL mechanism significantly and comparatively improves students' qualitative and problem-solving based exam scores, reduces pre-exam anxiety and enhances knowledge retention. Both low performing and high CGPA students benefited from CL and collaborative based exams (CLBE). Students, even though appreciative of the visible benefits of CL, contested a group-based grading system, and female students revealed gender biases within group dynamics. This study is the first application of inter and intragroup dependent exam constructs within collaborative based exams (CLBE).

This study identifies significant differences between the learning approaches of mature and 'conventional' students, answering the call for more empirical insights into mature students' learning experiences. The study uses a survey approach, collecting data with the Biggs SPQ Instrument, involving 204 university students in Ghana, and applies various statistical analyses to test for significant differences in mean responses. The results of the study confirm the preference for deep and strategic learning among mature students, but departs from the existing empirical finding, albeit fast-evolving, that conventional students prefer surface learning. It will seem, that the growing relevance of intrinsic motivational reasons for academic pursuit even among conventional students, perhaps due to the reality of non-existing jobs after graduation, has shifted students' motivations with subsequent effects on the approaches to learning. Another reason could be the visible efforts by higher education institutions to improve students' study experience and engage them in developing higher-order cognitive skills. Therefore, even though prior life experiences impact learning approaches, current and future contextual estimations by students also affect their current actions. This is the first application of a dataset from Ghana to the study of learning approaches and also the highest known reliability score for surface approaches using the SPQ instrument.

The study explored the application of closed-book, open-book and cheat-sheet exams in an undergraduate cost and management accounting course at a university in Ghana. 198 students participated in an exploratory study examining how the different exam types impact on exam scores, pre-exam anxiety and knowledge retention. The study improves on the methods used in prior studies by, simplifying the estimation of pre-exam anxiety, and controlling for general student aptitude (GPA) in the specification of model. ANOVA was used to analyse the data. The results of the study provide compelling support for the application of cheat-sheet exams even though the perceptual views of students regarding this exam type were quite low on several variables and parameters.