Interview with USM Healthy Campus Coordinator Associate Professor Dr Lee Lik Meng

1. What do you think of the idea of paperless teaching method?
Paperless teaching method is a new and different way of learning of teaching.

2. Do you think it is possible to implement paperless teaching method?
According to Dr Lee, it is not impossible to implement paperless teaching method but it is tough if there is totally no usage of papers. The reasons are simple because we are used to the usage of papers in all form of learning materials. As an example, lecturers use Power Point Slide Show in teaching and the students will normally print the slides show. They feel that reading from the screen will make them uncomfortable and more importantly is that this culture is not encouraged in our country.

However, there will be a time when this culture will be practiced due to there is not essential to print and also pervasion of e-learning and e-communication. This happens when the information is too huge and the students will need to read it fast or else they will unable to catch the pace of rapidly changing information in this era of globalization.

3. In your opinion, what are the issues surrounding paperless life of students of USM?
One of the issues surrounding paperless students’ life in USM is management of USM tries to minimize the printing of papers for meeting. In the past, they used to print 80 to 90 sheets of paper for each person during the meeting. This is supported by the management of Vice Chancellor Office which also reduces printing of papers. Library of USM upload the whole books or examination papers on the internet for the students to download. USM library has created a digital database for students to access to the journals and articles for free.

Nowadays, some of the assignments are required to be uploaded on the internet which is also an example of paperless teaching method. However, there are some problems occur following this requirement which are the speed of internet is too slow and the cost of computers is unaffordable by the students. Besides the attitude of students, the old teaching method of majority lecturers that the students should use papers in learning also inhibit the implementation of paperless teaching method. Some of the lecturers want the journals to be printed although they find them on the website.

4. Is e-learning a good solution as part of development of paperless student life?
According to Dr Lee, e-learning does not focus more on minimizing usage of papers but is a different way of learning of teaching of lecturers. However, e-learning is a good start of the development of paperless students’ life because it is a changing teaching method from paper to multimedia. Nowadays, students and lecturers can interact with multimedia text by using Geographic Information System (GIS).

E-learning changes the way the authors work which is they do not mainly focus on making profits from publishing books instead they post their works on the internet for the people to access to the works. This is a creative common among the authors which is when a new finding or item is created, they will make the finding accessible by other people who can gain benefit from that except just mainly selling the finding for profit.

5. In your opinion, what will you do to encourage lecturers to reduce usage of paper in their teaching method?
In Dr Lee’s opinion, new lecturers should take a course on new teaching and learning method which can reduce usage of paper includes adopting technology and e-learning. The lecturers should aware of how students are evolving and adapt their teaching method with the new environment.

In a few years from now, the lecturers will see that the younger generations (future students) reject the old way of teaching which mainly based on usage of papers. Lecturers should understand that they suppose to act as facilitators and not just ‘lecturers’. Hence, lecturers are responsible in the development of students who are sensitive about sustainable environment by reducing usage of papers.