Most research on the subject has assumed that users of new technologies learn about and modify new technologies gradually. This assumption underlies the concept of the learning curve, a familiar model which presumes that learners gain knowledge in a continuous and highly regular progression over time.
However, when a new technology is introduced into a particular sector of a company, the process of learning about and modifying that technology may not, in fact, be continuous. In general, the introduction of new technology into ongoing operations triggers an initial burst of learning or adaptive activity as users explore the technology and attempt to resolve unexpected problems. Such intense activity is often short-lived, however, with users' effort and attention declining dramatically after the first few months. This rapid decline tends to occur even when serious problems remain unresolved, a trend which suggests that the dramatic falloff in learning or adaptive activity shortly after new technology is introduced does not reflect users' having mastered the new technology. The period of intense activity by users is typically followed by one in which users return their attention to their customary production tasks, though using the new technology to accomplish those tasks. Later on, particularly when challenges related to the new technology arise, users often turn their attention back to the new technology, initiating additional spurts of learning or adaptive activity. In many cases, this pattern continues over time, with brief periods of learning or adaptation followed by longer periods of relatively routine use.
Understanding that the pattern of user learning and adaptation is discontinuous can yield important benefits. Managers who anticipate and plan for intense user activity when a new technology is first introduced are better able to exploit the surge of energy and user motivation that usually occurs at the start of a project when improvements are easiest to implement, and major problems are most obvious. Moreover, by attempting to confine major modifications to start-up periods, such managers can better realize the benefits of periods of routine usage of the technology, during which productivity typically begins to increase and the effectiveness of previous modifications can be assessed.
1. The passage is primarily concerned withA. explaining a phenomenon and its significance for managers
B. summarizing traditional assumptions about a phenomenon
C. pointing out ways in which managers have taken advantage of a phenomenon
D. arguing against introducing more than one new technology at a time
E. discussing the benefits and drawbacks of introducing new technology
2. The author of the passage most likely mentions "the learning curve" in the highlighted text for which of the following reasons?A. To introduce a concept that is then analyzed in greater detail
B. To explain an assumption that underlies a subsequent recommendation
C. To identify a model to which an alternative is then proposed
D. To illustrate the wide variety of models that describe the way in which people gain knowledge
E. To cite a now-outdated theory about the way in which people learn
3. According to information contained in the passage, the author would be most likely to describe the process by which users learn about and adapt to new technology asA. dictated by the particular nature of the production tasks to be accomplished with the new technology
B. unpredictable due to differences in workers' familiarity with other technologies
C. inefficient because of inadequate planning by managers
D. slow initially but accelerating as employees gain familiarity with the new technology
E. occurring at intervals rather than continuously
4. According to information contained in the passage, the author would be most likely to make which of the following recommendations to managers who are introducing a new technology into the workplace?A. Emphasize the desirability of maintaining certain productivity levels during all phases of the process.
B. Exploit the new technology by anticipating and planning for the continuous learning curve that characterizes this process.
C. Ensure that needed improvements to the new technology are implemented during the initial period of intense user learning and adaptive activity.
D. Work jointly with users to determine the amount of learning and adaptive activity that is required for users to master a new technology.
E. Attempt to minimize the dramatic falloff in learning and adaptive activity that often occurs shortly after a new technology is introduced.