The Review 2002

The external review, the Teaching and Learning Qual i ty Process Rev iew, was conducted in June 2002 by the University Grants Commi t tee (UGC) . I t focused on “education quality work” – the processes and mechanisms we have in place to ensure and improve the quality of our teaching. One of the areas the Review panel looked at closely was how we use feedback to help us evaluate and further develop the quality of the education we provide. We have mechanisms in place to gather v iews f rom col leagues, students, employers, alumni, the community and leading academics world-wide. This is one of many measures we employ to ensure that the quality of education at the University remains high and is of an international standard. The final Review report will not be released by the UGC until January 2003, but informal feedback indicated the Review panel, which included highly-experienced external reviewers from around the world, was very impressed by our efforts. We were also encouraged by the resul ts of an internal assessment we commissioned in advance of the Review. External consultants assessed all of our units and wi tnessed the dedicat ion of staf f throughout the Uni versi ty to cont inual l y developing their teaching, as well as excellent examples of innovation in the development of student-centred teaching methods. For example, we have become the regional leader in problem-based learning, a student-centred approach which is popular in North America and Europe (see panel). Our academic programmes in general are designed to prepare students for the demands of a technology- and information-driven world. We employ some of the best academics in the world, who encourage students to be independent learners who seek, f i lter and interpret the information they need. Students are required to broaden their horizons by taking courses outside of their speciality. They are also expected to be conversant in information technology. The Review 2002 Teaching and Learning 8 Our quality and innovation, coupled with our high standards and impressive facilities, enable us to attract the brightest students in Hong Kong. Centre for Problem-Based Learning The University is the leading practitioner of problem-based learning (PBL) in Asia. In PBL, students const ruct thei r own understanding of issues and devise solutions to real-world problem scenarios. They work in teams and exercise and develop their research and communication skills, critical thinking and ability to integrate information across different domains. Our Medical and Dental Faculties, as wel l as our Speech and Hearing Sciences programme, have practised PBL for several years, and it is increasingly being used in other disciplines such as social work and education. The Centre for Problem-Based Learning was established at the University in 2001 and has promoted PBL to al l of Hong Kong’s universities and in countries such as Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand. The Centre also has set up a professional association and publishes a newsletter and runs international workshops on PBL methods.