understanding abstract ideas is as important as learning facts
When it comes to study, people hold different views about whether it's more important for students to understand theoretical concepts than it is for them to learn facts. In my opinion, understanding abstract ideas is as important as learning facts.
First, concepts and facts are inseparable in almost all study fields. It is unnecessary and impractical for us to emphasize one over another. Take architecture as an example, when we learn architecture at school, we'll learn facts about the developments of historical styles, ingenious designs, and prestigious artists. These facts assist us to frame our own understanding of the architectural ideas and concepts.
Second, ideas and concepts are extracted from the facts, while facts are summarised from ideas and concepts. It is efficient for us to put facts together and find out the common patterns and rules. Those patterns and rules may help us understand other scientific fields. For example, scientists study the facts about brids' flying models and then summarize the aerodynamics of birds so that we can apply it to modern airline industries.
Third, without specific facts, it is impossible for us to fully understand ideas and concepts. Take literature as an example, in school, students have to first memorize poems and articles written by great authors, then they can develop their own sense of literary style and concepts. Our teacher may teach us about the concept of metaphors and sarcasm, but only when we read a lot of articles with great metaphors and sarcasm can we fully understand those writing skills.
In conclusion, concepts and ideas, as well as facts, are essential to study. Concepts are more convincing when backed up by facts. Facts can be summarized into concepts so that they can be grasped more efficiently. We should place equal importance on concepts and facts in order to get a full picture and a deeper understanding of what we learn.