This article reports on the design, implementation and evaluation of a module in the MEd (Business) in
the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong in which an explicit problem-based learning
(PBL) approach was used to investigate the challenges associated with the adoption and use of information
and communication technologies (ICT) in Hong Kong secondary school classrooms. PBL influenced both
the way the curriculum was developed and the process by which students (n = 18) investigated topics related
to the integration of ICT in business studies classrooms. The evaluation was based on five evaluative questions
dealing with the implementation of PBL, the extent to which PBL facilitated academic discourse, the
extent of new knowledge about ICT that had been created, the role of the tutor, and the online learning
environment provided. The evaluation revealed that PBL provided a practical approach to investigating
ICT in both face-to-face and online learning environments, leading to new knowledge about challenges
associated with the adoption and use of new technologies in various educational settings.
2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved