Accounting Lecturer Trains Students to Be Strategic Financial Thinkers

For Kristin Li, lecturer in accounting, teaching online is about more than delivering course material. It is about helping students build the skills and confidence they need to succeed in their accounting careers. As an instructor in Cal State Fullerton’s Online B.A. in Business Administration program, Li is committed to making sure students have the academic foundation and re

Li earned her master’s degree in accountancy from The Ohio State University, and her teaching interests span financial, managerial and intermediate accounting, as well as internal auditing and control. In the online business degree program, she brings that expertise to Intermediate Accounting I, a course customized specifically for online business bachelor’s degree students. Through her teaching, Li helps students connect accounting concepts to the skills they’ll need to navigate the profession beyond the virtual classroom.

With the rise of AI, Li prepares students to use new digital tools responsibly as a personalized learning assistant through an online orientation that all students attend virtually at the same time. Teaching critical thinking skills is an integral part of Li’s focus.

“I emphasize data skepticism, training students to critically evaluate AI outputs for errors using their own accounting knowledge and to collaborate with me whenever doubts or discrepancies arise,” Li said. “Through this blend of technical accounting rigor, data modeling and AI literacy, the course equips our online business students with financial intuition and necessary tech skills required of modern business leaders.”

As an accounting educator, Li understands that many students may be considering a future as a Certified Public Accountant. To help them prepare for that goal, she hosts CPA information sessions four times each semester, where she explains the requirements and helps students map out an individualized pathway. Her approach reflects the importance of having a clear plan and the right strategies for succeeding in an online learning environment.

Read Li’s four tips for online learning in CSUF Business News.