Does a steep learning curve mean learning fast or slowly?

Answer 1

Actually, it has little to do with the learner and more to do with how much there is to be learned. The steeper the learning curve, the more things one has to learn in a shorter amount of time; or the faster the increase in difficulty of the concepts to be mastered.

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Additional: The metaphor "steep learning curve" originally came as a positive reference. A steep learning curve meant that one became quite proficient with a minimum amount of effort/time. It LATER came to be used in the opposite sense - as a negative reference to something difficult to learn (which actually is a shallow, not steep, curve!).

A learning curve is shown as a graph of "amount of learning" in the Y axis and the "amount of time or effort" in the X direction. A relatively 'normal' learning curve would be a sloping 's' curve, with its tail starting at the lower left and progressing to the upper right where the head of the s lies.

In common (technically incorrect) usage, "steep learning curve" is meant to indicate that to learn the subject/technique takes a long time and is difficult.

Best 'pic' I can make with this limited editor (ignore the ·∙∙ ):

Proficiency

|∙ ·∙∙ ·∙∙ ___100%

|·∙∙ ·∙∙ X

|∙ ·∙∙ X·∙∙ ·∙∙ ·∙∙ ·∙∙ (a quick/rapid proficiency, a steep slope, = easy)

|·∙∙ X

|∙ X

|X____________

Time

Proficiency

|∙∙· ∙·∙ ·∙∙ ∙∙· ∙·∙ ·∙∙ ∙∙· ∙∙· ·∙∙ ·∙∙ ·∙∙ ___100%·∙∙ ·∙∙ ·∙∙(more time reach 100%)

| ∙·∙ ·∙∙ ∙∙· ∙·∙ ·∙∙ ·∙∙ ·∙∙ ·∙∙ ·∙∙ ∙∙·X

| ∙·∙ ·∙∙ ∙∙· ∙·∙ ·∙∙ ·∙∙ ∙∙·X ·∙∙ ·∙∙ ·∙∙ (a slow proficiency, a gentle slope, = difficult)

| ∙∙· ∙∙· ∙∙· X

|X

|_________________________________

Time