What's the best way to learn: practically or technically?

What's the best way to learn - practically or technically? I'm not sure there's a right or wrong answer to this question, merely degrees of usefulness.

However, let's look at some of the pros and cons of each.

Applying oneself in a practical nature to ones learning is more of a hands-on experience. The creative process is one of trial and error, we learn from our mistakes and move on to greater heights. This I believe, makes the creative process more alive and intuitive, it allows for more room to maneuver with your vision.

There's been a lot talk lately about project-based learning and how this is the way of the future. I see many benefits in project-based learning, specifically that it's more open and fluid. Project-based learning is hinged upon what I call the 4 c's - connection, cooperation, creativity and communication. If I make a mistake in project based learning I return to the drawing board to see where I went wrong, alter my path and realign with my vision.

Technical learning on the other hand is more traditional and has often been associated with the nerd - the guy who plows into his text books to uncover solutions to his problem. However, even as we move into this new age of cooperative-based learning, I believe that technical astuteness is still valuable.

Technical knowledge allows for the precision and fine tuning of ideas. A technical understanding of a concept can be used as a tool for mastery. The down side of solely technical learning is that it rests in the concept of control, which can be quite limiting. If I understand a concept in a text book and therefore take that particular knowledge as finite, I may be proved wrong through circumstance.

 Here's an everyday example. Back in 2002 I did 2 Italian language courses at the University for Foreigners in Siena. While I learned a lot of grammar and tense (the more technical aspects of learning a language), it was not until I worked in a beach resort in the south of Italy that I become more fluent in the language.

This was because I was forced to speak and listen to the language 24/7. Eventually I even started dreaming in Italian and when I spoke to my family back home it felt different having to switch back to English. As a result I progressed much faster than I would have had I just remained studying Italian at the university.

This is not to say that the technical nature of learning should be made obsolete. We all have different ways and styles of learning that are best suited to our personalities. Perhaps in the past there's been more of a focus on text book learning. However, if we want to be more innovative and creative with our ideas and solutions then there can be no substitute for practical, project-based learning. We need both.