Does that make me sound like an "old man"? That I want people to understand the basics, to know how to walk, before they learn how to run? To have at least a basic understanding so they don't destroy (and get frustrated with) their $30.00 microcontroller board (Arduino or otherwise)? Is that too much to ask today?
It probably really is asking too much. Today is more the world of near instant gratification, and learn by doing, etc. I suspect even us 'get off my lawn' types, if reborn into todays world would mot choose or wish to take the learning journey we did so many decades past. I think today an Arduino with a good starter kit is a good platform to start learning electronics from scratch, the key is if their using a good tutorial type book that lets them proceed step by step and stopping at times to discuss and explain the theory behind what each step is trying to teach them. With so much information avalible on the web these days, there is no shortage of good reference material, it just needs to be orginized and presented in proper context as one proceeds with their arduino projects.
Maybe those here that are actively involved with teaching students using arduinos as teaching aids would let us know what works and doesn't work well for their students? I'm more interested in how the electronics fundementals and theory proceeds rather then how the software skills are teached.