PSA on learning curves...

[homercles337]

Many people mistakenly refer to a steep learning curve as indicative of difficulty in learning. The truth is that a steep learning curve means a task is easy to learn. If you plot learning as a function of time (the origin of the learning curve, ie y = time(x), where y shows learning) a steep slope means that an individual has learned a lot in a short time. A shallow slope means that it takes more time to learn the same amout and is thus classified as difficulty in learning. I now understand where this misnomer arose. A steep slope is difficult to "climb," while a shallow one is easy. Ignorance is a funny thing.

Cliffs:
Steep learning curve == EASY to learn
Shallow learning curve == HARD to learn

 

[ThaGrandCow]

Learning curve refers to how much time it takes to go from the rudimentary basics to being a master at a subject. A steep curve means you can pick up the start, but to get to mastery it takes a huge amount of work.

If you want to see it mathematically, which it isn't supposed to be, flip your variables and plot time on y and learning on x.

Steep = hard to learn

 

[mundane]

What if the Y axis is effort required while the X axis is familiarity with the subject matter?

 

[homercles337]

Learning is never measured in "effort." Learning is measured as learning. Cow and diego are just not informed. Pick up an intro psych book.

edit: BTW, cow and diego just validated my understanding that people often confuse "effort" (ie, climbing a hill that is steep is hard) with learning.

 

[hiredgoons]

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

There might be one or two exceptions, but you almost never plot time on the y axis.

 

[homercles337]

Originally posted by: hiredgoons
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_curve

There might be one or two exceptions, but you almost never plot time on the y axis.

Yep, thanks for the link. I guess i should add that link to my sig.

/thread

 

[mundane]

Originally posted by: homercles337
Learning is never measured in "effort." Learning is measured as learning. Cow and diego are just not informed. Pick up an intro psych book.

Just throwing it out there. You need some metric to measure progress against - I selected "familiarity". Otherwise, the common [mis]understanding of the 'steep 'learning curve can't make much sense.

 

[homercles337]

Originally posted by: diegoalcatraz

Originally posted by: homercles337
Learning is never measured in "effort." Learning is measured as learning. Cow and diego are just not informed. Pick up an intro psych book.

Just throwing it out there. You need some metric to measure progress against - I selected "familiarity". Otherwise, the common [mis]understanding of the 'steep 'learning curve can't make much sense.

Sorry that i didnt spend much time with your post. I tend to do that. Just use the link that goons posted (the one i should have looked before starting this thread ).

 

[tweakmm]

Looks like the psychology learning curve is steeper than someone thought. :laugh:

 

[smack Down]

Is a steep hill easy to clime? No just like something with a steep learning curve is hard to learn.

 

[homercles337]

Originally posted by: tweakmm
Looks like the psychology learning curve is steeper than someone though. :laugh:

Uh...

 

[homercles337]

Originally posted by: smack Down
Is a steep hill easy to clime? No just like something with a steep learning curve is hard to learn.

Wrong.

You fail at reading and spelling.

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: smack Down
Is a steep hill easy to clime? No just like something with a steep learning curve is hard to learn.

Wrong.

You fail at reading and spelling.

Sorry but that is how the phrased is used you can b!tch and moan all you want but a steep learning curve will always mean hard to learn.

 

[tweakmm]

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: tweakmm
Looks like the psychology learning curve is steeper than someone thought. :laugh:

Uh...

Is the English one steeper than someone thought too?

 

[hiredgoons]

Originally posted by: tweakmm

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: tweakmm
Looks like the psychology learning curve is steeper than someone though. :laugh:

Uh...

Is the English one steeper than someone thought too?

Irony FTW

 

[homercles337]

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: smack Down
Is a steep hill easy to clime? No just like something with a steep learning curve is hard to learn.

Wrong.

You fail at reading and spelling.

Sorry but that is how the phrased is used you can b!tch and moan all you want but a steep learning curve will always mean hard to learn.

No, it NEVER meant that. It was picked up and flipped on its head by ignorance. Do you know what a misnomer is?

 

[tweakmm]

Originally posted by: hiredgoons

Originally posted by: tweakmm

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: tweakmm
Looks like the psychology learning curve is steeper than someone though. :laugh:

Uh...

Is the English one steeper than someone thought too?

Irony FTW

Knowing when someone dropped off a letter and fixing the mistake in your head is pretty advanced stuff. "Though" and "thought' are such similar words with very similar meanings, it's easy to see how someone could get confused.

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: smack Down
Is a steep hill easy to clime? No just like something with a steep learning curve is hard to learn.

Wrong.

You fail at reading and spelling.

Sorry but that is how the phrased is used you can b!tch and moan all you want but a steep learning curve will always mean hard to learn.

No, it NEVER meant that. It was picked up and flipped on its head by ignorance. Do you know what a misnomer is?

And yet it still means hard. No matter what you say your not going to change the definition of a phrase.

 

[homercles337]

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: smack Down
Is a steep hill easy to clime? No just like something with a steep learning curve is hard to learn.

Wrong.

You fail at reading and spelling.

Sorry but that is how the phrased is used you can b!tch and moan all you want but a steep learning curve will always mean hard to learn.

No, it NEVER meant that. It was picked up and flipped on its head by ignorance. Do you know what a misnomer is?

And yet it still means hard. No matter what you say your not going to change the definition of a phrase.

I take you enjoy your ignorance and embrace it? Did you even bother to look at the wiki that goons linked?

BTW, your is the possesive form of you. You're is the contraction of you and are. Did you vote for bush?

 

[CKent]

This is the nerdiest post I've seen here in a while, and that's saying something.

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: smack Down
Is a steep hill easy to clime? No just like something with a steep learning curve is hard to learn.

Wrong.

You fail at reading and spelling.

Sorry but that is how the phrased is used you can b!tch and moan all you want but a steep learning curve will always mean hard to learn.

No, it NEVER meant that. It was picked up and flipped on its head by ignorance. Do you know what a misnomer is?

And yet it still means hard. No matter what you say your not going to change the definition of a phrase.

I take you enjoy your ignorance and embrace it? Did you even bother to look at the wiki that goons linked?

BTW, your is the possesive form of you. You're is the contraction of you and are. Did you vote for bush?

More BS again. Nit picking spelling is the first sign of a person with no argument.

The wiki is talking about the learning curve used by psychology which is different than the one talk about when people say a steep learning curve.

 

[homercles337]

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: smack Down
Is a steep hill easy to clime? No just like something with a steep learning curve is hard to learn.

Wrong.

You fail at reading and spelling.

Sorry but that is how the phrased is used you can b!tch and moan all you want but a steep learning curve will always mean hard to learn.

No, it NEVER meant that. It was picked up and flipped on its head by ignorance. Do you know what a misnomer is?

And yet it still means hard. No matter what you say your not going to change the definition of a phrase.

I take you enjoy your ignorance and embrace it? Did you even bother to look at the wiki that goons linked?

BTW, your is the possesive form of you. You're is the contraction of you and are. Did you vote for bush?

More BS again. Nit picking spelling is the first sign of a person with no argument.

The wiki is talking about the learning curve used by psychology which is different than the one talk about when people say a steep learning curve.

No its not. Im done with you Smack Dumb.

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: smack Down
Is a steep hill easy to clime? No just like something with a steep learning curve is hard to learn.

Wrong.

You fail at reading and spelling.

Sorry but that is how the phrased is used you can b!tch and moan all you want but a steep learning curve will always mean hard to learn.

No, it NEVER meant that. It was picked up and flipped on its head by ignorance. Do you know what a misnomer is?

And yet it still means hard. No matter what you say your not going to change the definition of a phrase.

I take you enjoy your ignorance and embrace it? Did you even bother to look at the wiki that goons linked?

BTW, your is the possesive form of you. You're is the contraction of you and are. Did you vote for bush?

More BS again. Nit picking spelling is the first sign of a person with no argument.

The wiki is talking about the learning curve used by psychology which is different than the one talk about when people say a steep learning curve.

No its not. Im done with you Smack Dumb.

Go ask 100 people on the street and ask them what a steep learning curve means I bet 99% will say hard to learn. What a phrase means isn't defined by some wiki article you just wrote but by what the population thinks when the phrase is used.

 

[pulse8]

This thread has a steep learning curve.