Product Training for the Technical Expert

4 Ready or Not?: Why Some Students Are More Ready to Learn Than Others

As a subject matter expert, you are likely excited to teach new students about your product. It can be frustrating, though, to find that some are not as eager to learn as you are to teach. It can also be overwhelming when they are overly enthusiastic about learning and you can’t teach them fast enough.

Why is it that some students are more primed and ready to learn than others? How can you say something to two equally bright students and it will change one’s behavior and knowledge and have no effect on the other? It is important to understand what drives a student’s readiness to learn and what you can do to influence them.

There are, of course, external influences that are beyond your control. Any number of external influences can make learning challenging, even for bright students. Emotional or physical stress can be a barrier to learning. Lack of sleep, for example, may make learning difficult for a student. While you should make every effort to schedule the classes to reduce this problem, the reality is that you have little control over your students’ sleep habits. You will have even less control over the emotional stress that may be hindering their learning.

The Four Principles of Learner‐Readiness

Being aware of your students’ physical and emotional state is important. A good instructor will adjust schedules and even learning requirements accordingly. However, your concern is primarily with what ...