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The Term "Learning Curve"
3

The Term "Learning Curve"

The Term "Learning Curve"

(OP)
My idea of the "learning curve" is a plot of time between repetitions of a task vs. repetition number.  This would look something like a hyperbola or exp(-t).

Thus, in early repetitions, one is high up on a steep portion of the curve (long time between iterations), and as time goes on, the region of the curve you are on flattens as it asymptotically approaches some limit.

What is the traditional understanding?  What is the consensus?

William

RE: The Term "Learning Curve"

I just seem to go around in circles; I guess that could be four curves.

RE: The Term "Learning Curve"

good enough ...

where i've worked management (curse them !) made the mistake of changing the crew all the time, and then were surprised when the hours didn't go down ... maybe after the nth iteration the crew were back to their starting places, and maybe remembered how it was done !

RE: The Term "Learning Curve"

I always thought of the "learning curve" as a plot of skills vs time. When you start learning something, you acquire some basic skills quite quickly; the curve is steep at the beginning. Then, you have to apply your skills for some time before they "sit" in your mind and hand. During this time you do not learn more about the subject - you have reached a "learning plateau". You probably forget some of the finer details, which makes the plateau droop slightly.

Then, there is repetition; you pick up what you have forgotten and you learn what you didn't pick up during basic training. Your skills take a jump upwards - there is a steep portion of the learning curve again.

Next time you are trained, you will probably learn more advanced techniques and there will be another step in the learning curve. And so it goes on. Some will develop more and deeper skills on their own; they are becoming experts. Some move to other fields and their skills will vanish. Their curve droops again.

A steep learning curve, in my eyes, means that something is easily learnt. Be it because the subject is easy, the teacher is good or the pupil bright. Or a combination.

Gunnar Englund
www.gke.org

RE: The Term "Learning Curve"

2
I was going to write a response, but I think this article matches my understanding pretty well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_curve

If you've never used the Wikipedia, I highly recommend adding it to your bookmarks.

Edward L. Klein
Pipe Stress Engineer
Houston, Texas

"All the world is a Spring"

All opinions expressed here are my own and not my company's.

RE: The Term "Learning Curve"

Gunnar's got some good points, the curve sticks with you beyond the plateau.

My $0.02:
Steep learning curve = learning alot whether it's easy or not in a short period of time.

*Without data, you're just another person with an opinion.*

Hydroformer

RE: The Term "Learning Curve"

From Dictionary.com

Quote:

Marketroids often misuse the term to mean the amount of time it takes to learn to use something ("reduce the learning curve") or the ease of learning it ("easy learning curve"). The phrase "steep learning curve" is sometimes used incorrectly to mean "hard to learn" whereas of course it implies rapid learning.


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