Learning curves are a natural part of learning any new skill or knowledge. It’s the process we go through to gain knowledge and sometimes the curve is steeper than others. But why is this process called a learning curve, and why is it important? Let’s dive in and find out more.
What is a Learning Curve?
A “learning curve” is the rate at which someone acquires a new skill or knowledge. The curve aspect of the term comes from the graphical representation that plots the progress of learning against the time or effort invested.
The curve usually starts low, indicating you’re unlikely to know a lot at the start. As the learning curve continues, the line on the graph ascends, illustrating increasing proficiency or understanding.
While the basic concept is straightforward, various factors such as individual aptitude, the complexity of the task, and available resources can influence the shape. Over time, learning curves have been questioned as an effective measure for ranking a cohort’s learning speed, as everyone learns so differently.
What is a Steep Learning Curve?
The term “steep learning curve” is often used to describe situations where the learning process is challenging or complex. In this context, “steep” implies that a significant effort and time frame are needed to make real progress.
As you might have assumed, the graph features a much steeper curve because of the complex subject matter. This sharp ascent shows that attaining this skill or knowledge is difficult, but it is possible with a lot of time and effort.
Examples of a steep learning curve might be learning a complex language like Arabic or Cantonese, or trying to take on a new course in a new discipline without prior subject knowledge.
What are the Benefits of Understanding Learning Curves?
If you can understand learning curves, you can work out how different people in your business learn, what methods they struggle with, and how you can help them. This is massively beneficial in the corporate world, especially in the context of employee training and development.
Let’s go through some of the most prominent benefits of understanding learning curves.
- Efficient planning: Knowing how quickly skills are gained can help you plan training sessions more effectively. If you need more resources for certain teams, you can plan accordingly.
- Cost savings: A well-understood learning curve can help you predict the financial resources needed for a training programme. This is useful for budgeting and ensures you don’t overspend.
- Time management: When you understand how long it takes to master a skill, you can schedule training programs accordingly. This ensures that employees spend their time productively.
- Personalised learning: Understanding individual or departmental learning curves allows for a more tailored training approach. This not only improves the training’s effectiveness but also enhances learner engagement.
- Performance metrics: A learning curve can serve as a baseline to measure the effectiveness of your training programs. Comparing actual performance against the expected learning curve can provide valuable insights.
- Resource allocation: Understanding the learning curve helps you allocate resources where they are most needed. Whether it’s more hands-on training or additional eLearning materials, you can make data-driven decisions.
- Competitive advantage: A well-managed learning curve can speed up the skill acquisition rate within your organisation. A faster learning team can give you a significant advantage in a competitive market.
Generalised vs. Measured Learning Curve
It’s important to note that there are two approaches to learning curves: generalised and measured.
As you might expect, measured learning curves are carefully looked at and analysed against company expectations. This is commonly how we measure success in training programs and educational courses.
The generalised approach is a lot more relaxed. The learning curve as a saying is commonplace now, as is “being ahead of the curve”. Here, the person is rarely referring to a formal graphical learning curve but rather being more skilled than the rest.
So, as a business, it’s important to enforce measured learning curves if you want to optimise your learning and development experiences for your employees.
Learning Curve Examples
Learning curves are present all around modern businesses – whether you realise it or not! Here are a few examples of learning curves in digital learning and organisational development spaces.
Adopting a Learning Management System (LMS)
When a company first implements a new LMS, employees may notice a steep learning curve. This is usually because employees need to become familiar with the interface and features. With continued use, their proficiency will grow, making it easier to navigate and complete training modules.
Mastering Authoring Tools
Authoring software like Articulate 360 or Vyond requires an initial investment of time and effort to learn. At first, the range of options and functionalities can seem overwhelming. However, as users gain more experience with these tools, they can create increasingly complex and interactive eLearning content.
Transitioning to Remote Work
The shift to remote work has forced many people to adapt to new tools and methods quickly. Initial challenges include mastering virtual collaboration tools and effective time management. However, with time and practice, these tasks become more routine and second nature.
Onboarding New Employees
When you start a new role, the amount of things to learn can seem like a lot. From HR policies to IT setups to role-specific learning, getting settled into a new job can be a steep learning curve. Implementing, in-app, contextual onboarding software, like Omniplex Guide, helps to flatten this learning curve and means your new recruits can hit the ground running.
The 4 Types of Learning Curves
In general, there are four types of learning curves that you should look out for as a business.
They are:
- Diminishing returns: This is when you can learn something quickly and the progress slows quickly. Commonly used for easy and routine tasks that don’t take long to learn.
- Increasing returns: This is your traditional steep learning curve where progress is slow initially and it takes time to learn a new skill.
- S-Curve: This is common for new users as it initially takes them a while to understand the skill or task, but over time, they pick up the subject quicker and more effectively.
- Complex Curve: As the name suggests, the complex curve refers to a period of prolonged study that isn’t straightforward. It’s split into five stages.
- Slow-learning phase
- Increasing proficiency phase
- Plateau
- Peak proficiency phase
- Over-learning or automatic phase
The complex curve is what most people will experience with a prolonged training course. Over time, you’ll continue to attain more knowledge, but you’ll experience plateaus and dips in your learning as motivation wanes or topics get trickier to understand.
Understanding the 70% Learning Curve
The “70% learning curve” refers to the idea that every time you repeat a task, it’ll take 70% of the original time to complete it.
As people use the technology or software more, they’re going to find quicker, more efficient ways of using it. This has amazing implications in terms of resources, budget, and productivity for your business.
For example, if it takes 10 hours to master the basics of a new eLearning software, then according to a 70% learning curve, it should take 7 hours to reach the same proficiency level when mastering it for the second time.
How Can You Flatten The Learning Curve For Effective Employee Training
Everyone wants to make learning more efficient and accessible. With that in mind, here are some tips to flatten the learning curve for more effective employee training:
- Provide pre-training materials. This could include articles, videos, or online tutorials that employees can review before their training session. This will give them a basic understanding of the material and help them to get the most out of the training.
- Break down the material into smaller chunks. This will make it easier for employees to learn and absorb the information.
- Use a variety of teaching methods. Some people learn best by listening, while others learn best by doing. Use a variety of teaching methods, such as lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on activities, to accommodate different learning styles.
- Provide opportunities for practice. The more employees practice, the better they will learn. Provide them with opportunities to practice what they are learning during the training session and afterwards.
- Give feedback. Feedback is essential for learning. Provide employees with feedback on their performance so that they can identify areas where they need to improve.
- Create a supportive learning environment. Employees are more likely to learn effectively in a supportive environment. Encourage employees to ask questions and to help each other learn.
Maximise the Benefits of Learning Curves with Omniplex Guide
If you’re looking to leverage the full potential of learning curves in your training programmes Omniplex Guide can help you to design and deliver optimised learning and development initiatives. Our digital adoption platform can support, provide walk-throughs and in-app assistance that are designed to boost productivity, and maximise engagement, flattening the curve overall.
To get started get in touch or book a free product tour.
