The term hands on can be taken quite literally, a tangible object that can be held and manipulated in some form. A book or newspaper could be seen as hands-on, but with electronics I feel like this term has changed. Interactive websites and even apps on our phone allow us to be hands-on in a new way. We are capable of learning in a way that allows us to do so from the comfort of our own home and on our home time. However, is the use of technology to be hands-on on our own time and in the comfort of our own home really conducive to our learning and understanding of material?
I don’t think that learning from the comfort of your home, in the cradle of technology, is conducive for hands-on learning. Civil engineers can design a bridge and build it in the comfort of their lab, but unless they go out into the field and scout where they are going to build it, and see the actual ground where the bridge will be installed, it would be nearly impossible to build a bridge that fits that demographic’s demands.
It is true that information makes its way around significantly more easily than before. Computers, phones, whatever other little gadgets, the internet and its wealth of information can be accessed from any of them, at almost any time. But having only knowledge almost never creates a success. You can learn how to build something, and you may know how to do it correctly. The issue comes whether or not you CAN do it correctly. It is frequently said that experience trumps knowledge. In that case, if gaining knowledge is considered hands-on, what is gaining experience?