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The learning curve refers to a relationship between the duration of Learning or experience and the resulting progress. Initially introduced in the Cognitive Psychology , over time the term acquired a broader interpretation, and the expressions " Experience Curve ", " Improvement Curve ", "cost improvement curve", " Progress Curve "/" Progress Function ", " Startup Curve ", " Efficiency Curve " etc., may be used interchangeably, depending on the context. Some of these terms may also have other meanings. In the immediate context of learning, the expression "steep learning curve" is seen to be used in two opposite meanings. Originally it referred to the quick progress in learning during the initial stages followed by gradually lesser improvements with further practice.Ritter, F. E., & Schooler, L. J. '' The learning curve ''. In '' of the word "steep" with a slope which is difficult to climb. Another specific context of the term "learning curve" is acquiring a new skill, e.g., an experience in usage of a new tool. In this context, expressions "fast learning curve" or "short learning curve", as well as "steep learning curve", are also in use. This context may involve a different interpretation of fast initial progress vs time, namely referring to the overall amount of progress ''required'' to be achieved at each stage of an activity. In this sense the term "steep learning curve" represents the need to make significant progress during the initial stages, so that a person may start using the tool with reasonable efficiency. This need is often associated with increased efforts in learning. Conversely, the expressions gradual or '''flat learning curve''' convey the meaning that the acquisition of a skill may be gradual, so that, e.g., a reasonable use of the tool possible at early stages of learning with relatively small amount of new information acquired. Thus in this context it could be said that the learning curve referred to represents the learning effort/progress required vs competency/efficiency in using a new skill or tool. The notion of the learning curve was introduced by the 19th-century German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus in the study of the efficiency of memorizing as influenced by various factors. He tested the long term memory by memorizing a series of nonsense syllables. In particular, he reported that the more he repeated the series, the more he could remember until finally he recalled the whole list. (In the same context, Ebbinghaus also introduced the term " Forgetting Curve ".)Hermann Ebbinghaus (1885) "Über das Gedächtnis", translated as "Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology" In 1936, Theodore Paul Wright described the effect of learning on Labor Productivity in Aircraft Industry and proposed a mathematical model of the learning curveWright, T.P., Factors Affecting the Cost of Airplanes, '' Journal Of Aeronautical Sciences '', 3(4) (1936): 122-128.. REFERENCES |
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