Using Stack Overflow for Professional Learning and Practices at Work

Abstract

Purpose: The study aims to investigate how people discuss Stack Overflow in terms of professional learning and how they integrate Stack Overflow into their professional practices at work. Theory: The theories used in this study are Communities of Practice and Socially Situated Learning by Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted for gathering data that can answer the research questions. The collected data were recorded and transcribed. The method of data analysis is thematic analysis. Results: The results of the study revealed that professional learning is understood differently according to each participant's understanding of learning. As for integrating knowledge gained from Stack Overflow in professional practices, the results reveal that the majority of the participants have to make modifications/alterations to the code they get from Stack Overflow to fit their work projects and environment.