The Review 2004

10 T H E R E V I E W 2 0 0 4 T H E R E V I E W 2 0 0 4 11 Creativity and Learning cent of their time on a specific discipline such as science or economics and the rest of the time on journalism. In an existing course – the Bachelor of Science – preparations were made during the year to offer students the option of taking a second major or a minor in a field outside their main Science major from 2004-05. In the classroom, new technologies are being used to enhance learning and open new horizons. The Department of History, as an example, is co- teaching a course with William and Mary College in the United States, via videoconferencing, on ‘Historical Studies Using Computers’, providing students with regular exposure to views from the other side of the world. More fundamentally, problem-based learning (PBL) is being promoted on campus. In this approach, students are asked to solve problems based on their own research and background knowledge, with teachers acting as facilitators rather than sources of answers. Students are able to experiment and develop their abilities in a non-threatening environment , and this has resulted in several faculties reporting tangible benefits from PBL. The Faculty of Medicine, which adopted PBL in 1997, compared interns under the new and old curricula in a study completed in 2004. The interns evaluated themselves and were evaluated by their supervisors. In all areas – from clinical judgement and skill to attitudes towards patients and staff – PBL students performed better than their predecessors and in many cases were judged excellent. The PBL programme in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences in the Faculty of Education was the first of its kind in the world and has been praised internationally and adopted by other schools, such as the University of Cork in Ireland. The Faculty of Dentistry has also received formal visits from other dental schools in Asia, which are hoping to use the faculty’s PBL as a model for their own curriculum. Additionally, the Centre for the Advancement of University Teaching is promoting new approaches across the University and fostering staff development. Innovations like these are still required to meet a standard of excellence. The quality of the University’s teaching and learning was recognised in an independent report by the University Grants Committee in 2003, when we earned praise for our achievements. Our high standards also received international recognition in 2003-04 when the World Trade Organisation announced the University would be the regional centre for its elite training programme. The Faculty of Law is leading the Faculty of Business and Economics, Faculty of Education, Institute for China and Global Development, Centre of Asian Studies and Centre of Urban Planning and Environmental Management to train officials from 32 countries in law and public policy. KAMALA-DEVI SIVASANKARAN, a health sciences student from Canada, came to the University on a one-year exchange in 2004. The local students were very friendly and helpful and the Exchange Office was phenomenal, they knew each person’s case and got us connected with things. The extracurricular programme was also fantastic. I went trekking and kayaking and took adventure sport courses that were all much more affordable than my university in Canada. Teaching Fellow DR LAM TAI PONG, Family Medicine Unit Students need a non-threatening and inviting environment so they can feel comfortable asking questions, without worrying about being scolded. That’s what I try to do. When Hong Kong students don’t feel threatened, they come up with all sorts of creative ideas and solutions. i i i i i l l i i i i i l l i ll i i l i