Why Reading Books and Articles in Addition to Natural Observation is Still Important in Higher Edu?

We often think that reading books on theory, key concepts, ideas, and history are not particularly important. That somehow we should short of skip over it for more practical stuff. While one could make the narrow or broad argument in education and its funding that doesn't neglect the needs for background information. Each serves a purpose in creating a conception of whole to understanding new problems/phenomenon.

Leonardo Da Vinci
Vitruvian Man
1490

It should be remembered that knowledge comes from many different sources. It can come from books, social networks, the news, solving problems and natural observation. While in modern human history we have formalized education it really is about awareness and solving problems. The more complex the problem, the more information and insight one needs to understand and resolve.

Sometimes those problems are practical such as how to fix a car and other times it could be more abstract such as how to create an economic innovation system. In ancient times it practical could be something like how to catch a fish with a spear or it could be more abstract such as how to design a more accurate bow and arrow (embankment, catapult, wall, etc...). 

While people may scoff at formal and informal knowledge/education (Not exactly the same but similar.) gathering they eventually get connected together into a learning process. For example, a book may offer formal knowledge, history provides context, research journals offer emerging new discoveries, a magazine up-to-date "real time" knowledge (relatively real time), etc... Each has their part as the more you read and observe the more you understand (One provides broad and the other specific understandings of applicability.).

Books and formal learning allows for broader background and structure while applying such information to real live situations allows for practical application. It isn't necessary that it is always correct and will always work but its more important that it be as truthful as possible so that we can learn from things we don't always yet understand (At least in certain periods of history. Science is an additive process and then you have an "Aha" moment where all the prior research makes sense. When problems and resolutions are big they are paradigm shifts that can transform societies.)