You said, "There is a general attitude that hands-on learning is by
definition "vocational"
and below the scope of this prestigious research institution."
How wrong they are! Hands-on learning is the only way. Research by folks
who are looking at how we learn say that using your body while you learn
is the best way. It takes far more brain capacity for an athlete to
learn a new skill than someone sitting and trying to understand the
Theory of Relativity. Also, all the theory in the world doesn't grow
food.
We mix our Biointensive Farming workshops half and half between
classroom and hands-on applications. This gives our participants the
whys and the hows of the system so they know how to physically do it and
have the tools to make their own management decisions (farming is not an
orthodox religion).
The "body memory" stays with you just like the brain memory. I had a
student call me up all excited one day. He had taken the class in June
and not done anything with it until the next spring. He told me that he
couldn't remember much about the class, but he got his tools and went
out to the garden and started working. He said, "My body remembered how
to do it even though my brain forgot."
So hang in there Eric. Sounds like you intuitively know what you need to
be doing. Farming and gardening is at least 1/2 intuitive, but don't let
the ag academics know I said that.
Alex
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