Many of us will have come across learners who did not want to be there...for a wide range of reasons.
For some, the fear of IT systems is still an issue. Combine that with the fear of looking daft whilst learning something new and you have a strong combination for resistance. Of course, most of the approaches referred to in the article can't work for IT training. Can they?
Although my main area of expertise is in end user (as opposed to technical) training, I find that most people are pleased to learn in an environment that does not just 'demonstrate, practice and test' using presentation equipment and talking at the learners.
There are always some that don't enjoy the experience but there were always some (me included) that did not enjoy being talked out for hours by an 'expert'.
I find that the best way to motivate learners in any training environment is to make sure that they know the benefits of the knowledge they are acquiring or skill they are learning. The old 'What's in it for me?' (WIIFM) idea is one that has a strong effect on learners' motivation in the training room.
