Practical Skills vs Knowledge Gained from Textbooks - Essay Example

In the modern world, more and more emphasis is being pleased on the acquisition of practical skills rather than knowledge from textbooks or other sources The requirement of the modern economy is already shifting its emphasis on the acquisition of practical skills rather than knowledge from textbooks or other resources. This is because change is happening so fast now that what is applicable today will already be obsolete tomorrow. Thus, things learned through textbooks are no longer that ideal because their usefulness is short and is based on the past which may no longer reflect the realities of the future.

Instead, practical skills such as creativity, critical thinking, resourcefulness and originality are now considered more valuable than things that are being learned in textbooks. Learning practical skills does not mean forgoing theoretical concepts in learning any subjects. It meant the fusion of theories into practice and the ability to adapt to change to make the knowledge and skills useful in the real world. This method of learning was emphasized by Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft and a college dropout, as more necessary in the economy than the traditional modes of learning that is textbook based that does not teach students to solve any real world problem.

The real world requires solving practical issues and the ability to adapt to change. Learning merely base on textbooks does not teach these skills and therefore would render the student unprepared to face the real world when he or she graduated from the university. What is ideal to become eclectic in learning approach to draw knowledge and skills from many sources that includes not only textbook, but also experience, experiments, practice, and creativity.