I agree with you. People learn best when they can see the relationships between what they're learning and the real world. Abstract theory should be learned only after there's something for the learner to latch onto and apply it to.

Think of all the best teachers you've had in life. Did they teach by throwing you head first into the water to see if you could swim, or did they start by telling a story and then slowly peeling back the layers to reveal more complexity? Start with simple applications and concepts and then expand on them.