In term of teaching strategy, if you separate the hands-on, try and tinker things, from the more fundamental, you end up with only half of the learning process. A good teaching format will help you learn the fundamental by connecting it to hands on building, to experiments, to the intrinsic reward of creating something. You can alternate or mix them. Most of the time you have to start with creative tinkering and foster going deeper and deeper. So: yes, and yes! :-)