On some level, though, the 'explanation' still has to undergo a process by which the learner makes it his/her own, right? I'm assuming that 'learning' means the ability to square something new with one's previous knowledge and experience, and the
ability to use/transform/incorporate/apply the newly acquired knowledge.
Otherwise that's memorization or recall, not actual understanding. (IMO)
I agree that there are a variety of inputs which are effective in that process, and that the input mode is largely irrelevent (as compared to the internal process of actual learning). Autodidactism or not, learning is learning. I think that is what DAD was stating, too. Just wanted to refine my earlier statement to reflect that nuance.
