This paper reports the implementation of PBL in a student preparatory course at City University of Hong Kong in 1999. In Hong Kong, as well as elsewhere, students often enter university with limited understanding about university education and ineffective learning strategies which can create frustration and difficulties in their transition to university life. There is a pressing need for universities to provide students with support to increase their chances of experiencing success during this critical period of transition. In responding to this need, City University of Hong Kong started in 1996 to offer first-year students a course "Learning to Learn" to help prepare them better for university study and lifelong learning.
Students who have attended the course find it worthwhile and beneficial. Research on the course offered during 1997 to 1999 (Kwan, 1998 and 1999a) has indicated positive effects on students' learning attitudes and skills. In particular, students were more aware of the importance of being an active learner and managing their study time. They also reported an increase in their self-efficacy in these two areas. However, if this course is to develop students as lifelong learners, students need to go through a process in which they are helped to develop the process skills which are essential for lifelong learning (Kwan, 1999b). Since PBL is a powerful strategy for providing a learning environment that "embodies most of the principles that we know improve learning" (Woods, 1996), the course team decided to have the course adopt a PBL format in 1999.
Preparatory tasks, including restructuring the curriculum, making resources available, developing problems, piloting, and preparing tutors and students have been completed Students who participated in the Pilot Programme of the PBL version of "Learning to Learn" have reported that they have become better learners. They have strengthened their attitudes towards lifelong learning. They also believe

In 2003 a project Innovative Pedagogical Practice Online (IPPO) was undertaken to better understand and enhance the motivation and performance of parttime inservice teachers studying in a BEd programme, with the aid of computer-mediated communications (CMC). The research intended to trial the tailoring of teaching and learning environments through the inhouse courseroom Interactive Learner Network (ILN) to better meet parttime student’s needs allowing instructors to make more informed judgments with respect to workload, assessment modes, and delivery options. A preliminary analysis of the data (n=163) suggests that, while most students are able to locate information and resources electronically many students have reservations about the use and effectiveness of CMC. While students have technology skills and sufficent hardware at home to take advantage of flexible learning opportunities an attitud