title: Quality assurance of problem-based learning (PBL): the Hong Kong experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong launched its new medical curriculum in 1997. It was an integrated and system-based curriculum, with problem-based learning (PBL) being one of its new pedagogy. This paper describes the quality assurance of the introduction of PBL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Regular PBL tutor training and case-writing workshops were conducted, with experts both locally and internationally invited to serve as trainers. The monitoring mechanisms was the use of paper questionnaires filled by both students and teachers. A group with a view to improve the process and the content of PBL studied the ratings of these evaluations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 3 years, a total of 40 training workshops were held and, 268 tutors and 57 case-writers were initiated. Most of the teachers were convinced that PBL did work even in students who came from a didactic learning background. Extensive and continued refresher PBL workshops would be necessary.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A stringent monitoring and evaluation process formed an integral part of an effective introduction of PBL in the medical curriculum.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, 7 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D004501:Education, Medical; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D018794:Problem-Based Learning / Q000592:standards*; D011786:Quality Control