My roomates and I just finished a three-hour conversation about the
meaning of the term 'steep learning curve.' Although the issue is
still unresolved (despite several Google searches), we have boiled
down the root of our problem into three precise questions:
1) Does the term 'learning curve' apply to people or activities?
2) What is the opposite of a 'steep learning curve' ?
And the ultimate question:
3) What does it mean to have a 'steep learning curve'?

Assuming this question is answered clearly, and with a minumum of
ambivalence, I'd place a bid of $10 on these questions.

Thank You Mr. Google,
Dan Greenblatt
Matt Morriss
Venu Nemani

You have a very interesting question here. I volunteer to stand in for
‘Mr. Google’ and answer your questions, most of which I’ll answer from
the top of my head.

Let me answer question number 3 first since that is the basic one.
Based on the resources I have found on the Internet, what I can say is
that a ‘steep learning curve’ is the capability to learn something
very easily or quickly. Learning curve means how long a person learns
something. The idea is that you have a line graph. The horizontal axis
stands for time, and the vertical axis stands for the progress in
learning, so the higher the line goes, the more the person has
learned. A steep curve means that the person learned more in the least
time, so imagine the graph’s line going steeply upward from the zero
corner. Since learning doesn’t always have a steady pace, the line
often appears as a curve. “Learning Curve” is basically a psychology
term, so you can read about it first in psychology books.

On your second question, I guess the opposite of the steep learning
curve would be the shallow learning curve. This means that a person
learns slowly. Imagine the line on the graph rising very slowly.

The “Learning Curve” is normally applied to people, yes. You can say
“Jean has a steeper learning curve in Flight Simulator than Jenny,” so
this means Jean can learn to use Flight Simulator faster than Jenny
can. But it can also be applied to activities and things to be
learned, such as learning to use a computer program. For example, if
you ask “Does this program have a steep learning curve?”, and a friend
answers, “No,” it means that the program is easy to learn.

Websites found:
Steep Learning Curve - From Topica, Inc.
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/library/Grammar/Learn-curve.html

INSIDE Idaho Definition Engine - Definition of “Learning Curve”
http://inside.uidaho.edu/tutorial/gis/engine.asp?term=learning_curve

The Birth of an Open Source (Free) Cobol Compiler - with a definition
of Learning Curve
http://objectz.com/columnists/howard&tom/

Myth: ODBMSs have a steep learning curve
http://www.service-architecture.com/object-oriented-databases/articles/myth_odbms_have_a_steep_learning_curve.html
- Here’s an example of “learning curve” applied to a non-person. The
article tries to prove that ODBMs are easy to learn.

Google search terms:
steep learning curve
"learning curve" definition

I hope this has been a most helpful answer. If you have any problem
with it, do please post a Request for Clarification and I shall
respond. Thank you.

This is a typical case of oxymoronism --  tector-ga seems to
contradict himself .
look what he says :

" a ‘steep learning curve’ is the capability to learn something
very easily or quickly "

and then in the last paragraph,  he says :
" if you ask “Does this program have a steep learning curve?”, and a
friend
answers, “No,” it means that the program is easy to learn "

effectviely saying these 2 things :
steep learning curve ==>  ease in learning 
not a steep learing curve ==> ease in learning 

the researcher is totallly confused, or has misquoted something.

i believe , steep learnig curve means that a "concept / activity "
will require more amount of time to understand ( grasp )
and yes it it referred to both person and activity 
( at least the researcher got this one right ... great )


peace ...

So after much thinking, I can see how the term could go either way.
I've always taken it to mean that a task that has a steep learning
curve is difficult to learn,and this is the way I've always heard it
used, but I guess it all depends on how you draw the graph.
If the x-axis is 'time', and the y-axis is 'amount learned,' then

|                              |        _______
|                 |            |      _/
|                /             |    _/
|             __/              |  _/   
|          __/                 | /
|       __/                    | |
| _____/                       | |
 --------------------          --------------------
         A                            B

(excuse my ASCII)
both graphs could be considered steep at parts, although one is
concave and the other is convex -- they both are 'steep' learning
curves
graph A would represent learning something slowly, where graph B would
represent learning something quickly

Ah, Oxymoronpointer has a point, I guess my "no" in that part of the
answer they indicated should have been "yes", but I'm glad the
customer got my message. Thank you.

Oh yes, I forgot to comment on Dang's charts. Yes, Chart B does show a
steep learning curve. :)

my friend tector-ga , had previously erred with a typo , now he has
got it right.

this article provides a good insight

Steep Learning Curve - From Topica, Inc. 
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/library/Grammar/Learn-curve.html 

but since this term is widely misunderstood, and used in the context
with a contrary meaning , it will be difficult to use this phrase in
commonplace without the fear of being grossly misquoted. ( and
especially since we are educated now ......)

ignorance is bliss .................... sometimes


-- OxymoronPointer  
aka jekkin shah 






or better still ,  we can always