Chartered Professional Accountant. Academic researcher. Professional magician. For over 15 years, Alym Amlani has blended technology, analytics, and performance to make accounting more engaging for students at the Melville School of Business at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU)
On Feb. 25, Amlani was recognized with a Distinguished Teaching Award during convocation ceremonies at KPU.
"This award means so much to me because it reflects the incredible support, mentorship, and encouragement from my colleagues and students. Their belief in me has shaped my growth as an educator, and I'm truly grateful," says Amlani.
Amlani's journey to teaching followed an unconventional path. After earning a bachelor of science in Cognitive Systems from University of B.C. and a Master of Professional Accounting degree from the University of Saskatchewan, he earned his Chartered Accountant designation while working at Deloitte. During his undergraduate years, he performed magic shows to support himself.
"Performing magic was definitely more fun than waiting tables," says Amlani. “One of my favourite tricks starts with a borrowed, signed bill and ends with an impossible revelation — the bill reappears inside a lemon, sealed in a paper bag, held by an audience member since the start of the show.”
This performance background has informed his teaching since joining KPU in 2010, where he applies those engagement skills to make accounting concepts memorable for students.
Amlani’s approach to teaching is built on one core belief: students learn best when they’re engaged. By creating interactive and meaningful learning experiences, he ensures that even complex accounting concepts become accessible and memorable.
"If my courses are fun and fulfilling, curiosity will be stimulated and absorption of the content will naturally follow," says Amlani.
As an advocate of the flipped classroom model, he records lectures for students to watch before class, reserving class time for interactive problem-solving and discussion.
"Students therefore come to class more prepared, feeling comfortable contributing and engaging with each other," says Amlani. "True understanding of a subject comes from applying knowledge to real-life situations, not from rote memorization."
"Peer learning lies at the heart of this, and I encourage students to collaborate on projects and teach each other. This enhances not only understanding but also interpersonal skills."
Beyond classroom teaching, Amlani has designed several courses, contributes significantly to curriculum development, and serves on multiple committees. His research on educational technology and assessment has appeared in scholarly journals and textbooks, and he regularly presents at prestigious teaching conferences.
"Alym is constantly evolving his style to fit with an ever-changing environment," says Kelly Cunningham, KPU accounting instructor. "He was quick to find ways to mitigate student cheating by creating pooled assignments, quizzes, and exams. And now he's looking for ways to integrate data analytics and artificial intelligence into all his courses."
Amlani is particularly recognized for his data-driven approach to assessment, developed in collaboration with accounting instructor John Shepherd.
"John and I developed test banks that have been widely used across accounting courses," says Amlani. "We created robust, reliable, and consistent exams that reduced student cheating and, more importantly, improved the consistency of student grading."
"Alym is a valued member of the department, given his expertise in accounting, educational technologies, and student assessment," says Shepherd, who nominated Amlani for the award. "He is active in educational research, raising the academic profile of KPU through his conference presentations and publications, freely volunteers his time, participating on faculty committees and providing one-to-one assistance to other faculty members, often assuming a leadership role."
"He isn't afraid to try new things, make jokes, try new technologies, or new approaches all in an effort to enhance the student experience and get them to remember his technical material better," adds Cunningham.
Reflecting on his journey, Amlani expresses appreciation for the institutional support that has enabled his growth.
"I'm extremely grateful to the amazing colleagues at KPU who have helped me grow as an educator," says Amlani. "Thanks to the 0.6 PD fund and KPU's support, I've had the opportunity to attend and present at teaching conferences — experiences that have been invaluable to my career."
"I have learned so much from the accounting faculty — their collegiality and mentorship have made all the difference. I feel lucky to be part of such a supportive team."
"This award means so much because of all of you, and my students, who contributed kind words and letters of support. Thank you."