Beyond Questioning and Answering

We present preliminary results of a study of teens who actively provide answers for other users' questions using an academic social Q&A service. Through an analysis of 18 interviews, we identified three types of learning occurring when teens create answers for their peers: reinforcing knowledge for better recall, divergent thinking from multiple perspectives, and enhancing learning through explanation. Participants reported that as a result of providing answers they were able to expand their knowledge bases, improve inquisitiveness, embrace challenging questions, and increase self-confidence. We conclude that academic social Q&A services have the potential to support teens' critical learning and creativity with proper intervention to be designed.