"I hear and I forget. I see and I believe.On my hunt for decent (and free) project management software, I discovered the "Use-Now-Adapt-Later" principle. Google promotes this approach through its retrospectiva, a web-based software project management tool it offers as a free d'load. In the end, I went with Access 2007.
I do and I understand."
-- Confucius
But I just the found the principle so intuitive and simple. I mean its nothing more than learning by trial-and-error. You buy a new tv or a computer, what's the first thing you do? Turn it on and start using it! Who really reads the instruction manual right away? I learned most of Excel, Access and even building a blog this way.
You always need the by-the-book folks (they're the ones who write the instruction manuals!), but to really learn and retain something, it has to be contextualized. Yet rarely do we go on an excursion or start a project without a plan. "Think before you act" is overdone. We think too much! Sometimes you just have to jump in and feel it out.