This is how we end up with kids that don’t understand how to critically think. Learning how ti put together a coherent essay is NOT just about learning to write a 5 paragraph essay with a beginning, middle and end. It’s about learning how to synthesize information and discuss it in a meaningful way. You write research papers to learn how to interpret data and scientific literature, you write persuasive essays to learn how to put together a good argument, etc. Reading and listening to lectures is well and good, but until you have to write about, teach or at least discuss the information yourself most people aren’t thinking very critically about it. Mostly, they’re just jotting down notes.