Kind of like learning arithmetic rather than how to punch a calculator.

Notwithstanding that, the guy obviously really didn't know how to use his chart plotter or even his GPS. It gives your COG (course over ground, if you prefer to avoid abreviations) and if you really know what you're doing, you see that the difference between the compass and the COG means you're drifting.

People that really understand digital information usually do so by having a basic conceptual grounding from doing manual (paper, if you prefer) charting.