Page:SELECTED ESSAYS of Dr. S. S. KALBAG.pdf/24

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in which creative energies of all the people in the chain would get employed for solution of local problems. The idea of providing upward connection to the rural areas by using information technology is hot nowadays. But Dr. Kalbag had spoken about it way back in 1987 in a more comprehensive manner. He had sensed the role of information technology in establishing vertical connection from rural areas to higher institutions very early. He has written at length about the revolutionary role of information technology in education. (Ref: Chapter 6, "Information technology can make a breakthrough in education") He thought Information Technology would be useful in speeding up communication and imparting training at lesser costs. He has elaborated on the ways of tackling the main concerns such as quality, finance and coverage while using information technology in education. He suggests connecting all the schools with Internet and to use multimedia computers and computer based lessons on a regular basis. Since he was not happy with the existing methodology of preparing computer lessons he entered into the business of making computer lessons way back in 1997, by following his own principle of "learning by doing". He said, “Many of the computer lessons I have seen in USA, UK and India are nothing but normal text lessons put on the computer screen with some colour, pictures, and sound, (music or reading the text). This is followed by the usual questions. This is not our idea of a computer lesson. We have to make use of the computer potential, to implement those ideas in education, which were not practical till now". (Ref: Chapter 6, “Information technology can make a breakthrough in education"). The thoughts expressed by him under the topic "New pedagogy in computer lessons” in the above referred article, are not only original but also Rural Development Through Education System 19