Is 'hands-on learning' really the best way?

We've all heard for years that less whole-class instruction and more hands-on learning is the best way for kids to learn. But the research shows the opposite, says professor E.D. Hirsch.

"What the international data show very clearly is that both procedural and content learning are best achieved in a focused environment which preponderantly emphasizes whole-class instruction but which is punctuated by small-group or individualized work."
                                                   -- "The Schools We Need and Why We Don't Have Them"