Understanding ideas and concepts is more important than learning facts.
Bouncing up from bed for the sake of the nightmare that was consisted of constantly appeared unknown drug names, I opened my textbook and memorized the name of medicine again and again in the middle of the night. In my first year of college, I was tortured by the flooded words which made studying became a nightmare. However, after I got the tips of connecting drug names with their mechanism, I was finally able to memorize tons of names and their usage. Therefore, I totally agree with the statement that understanding ideas and concepts is more important than learning facts.
To begin with, instead of only learning the fact itself, understanding factors or causes that lead to the result will be easier for students to memorize. Also, if students understand how the fact was established, they will be able to remember it and explain it to others.
Next to go would be, only by understanding the concepts can students strengthen their logics. More they think about the process, more clearly their thoughts became. For example, my brother had trouble memorizing the formula of mathematics and often failed his classes. However, after he learned the way how a formula was formed, he could use the formula adroitly and always get good grades in math.
Last but not least, by understanding concepts and ideas, students might have chances to come up with their own thoughts. Just giving them facts might shackle their imagination and creativity. For instance, many program designers use concepts they learn to create earth-shaking invention. Suppose they were only taught to learn facts, we would not be sitting here and surfing the Internet.
In a nutshell, partly because of better memorizing, partly because of the development of logic, and partly because of creativity, I agree with the statement that it is more important for students to understand ideas and concepts than it is for them to learn facts.