An Experiment Of The Effect Of Teaching Different Computational Methods Of Operating Cash Flows On Student Understanding

Abstract

This study uses an experimental approach to determine if student understanding of the association between depreciation and cash flows differs based on which method of computing operating cash flows is presented to students.   The participants are undergraduate and graduate students in business at a major university in the southwest United States.  The participants attended sessions where they heard a brief lecture explaining operating cash flows using either the direct or indirect methods.