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Practical learning means picking up skills while applying them to realistic development work: building or changing software, working within real constraints, and learning alongside colleagues. The best direct evidence is that developers say they prefer it. In HackerRank’s 2024 Developer Skills Report, respondents preferred to learn new skills in the context of a work project. That is a statement about preference, not proof that hands-on learning beats every other method. This article covers what the evidence supports, what it doesn’t, and how to apply it.
What the evidence says
Developers prefer to learn inside real work
HackerRank’s “2024 Developer Skills Report” asked what the best way is to learn new skills. Developers preferred learning in the context of a work project. When that wasn’t feasible, they preferred structured online learning, followed by self-directed online learning.
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The survey ran in autumn 2023 among the HackerRank community. It had 4,107 respondents in total, including developers, engineering managers, talent acquisition professionals, executives and students. The number answering any single question may be lower. It is a community survey, not a representative census of developers, and it does not measure learning outcomes.
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Time to learn is unevenly available
In the same report, 22% of developers said they were regularly given time for upskilling or learning, while 48% said they had to find that time themselves. These are survey responses, not a universal measure. They matter because practical learning needs time to practise. The report also finds a gap between how managers and developers perceive the learning time available.
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One company’s onboarding approach
Maggie Johnson and Max Senges, in “Learning to be a software engineer in a complex organization” (Journal of Workplace Learning, 22(3), 2010, pp. 180–194), studied how Google helps new engineers become productive in its codebase. They interviewed 24 stakeholders and added observations, document analysis, and existing survey and statistical data. The study describes practice-based learning, peer learning and collaboration. It is a single-company case from 2010, so treat it as an illustration, not a universal result.
What these sources do not show
- They don’t show that hands-on learning outperforms other methods in a controlled comparison.
- They don’t show that it guarantees employability or promotion.
- They don’t establish that it matters “more than ever”. That comparison over time isn’t measured. The case here rests on current preferences and on the practical constraints developers report.
How to apply it
The steps below are editorial advice built on those findings. They have not been tested against alternatives in the cited studies.
Attach new concepts to a real task
Use concepts to make decisions in a real or realistic task, then reflect on the result. If you’re learning a new framework, query language or testing approach, introduce it where a current work problem needs it. This matches the preference HackerRank respondents reported.
When no work project fits, add structure
The report supports structured online learning as the next-best option. It doesn’t endorse any platform. Pair a course with a small, complete project of your own, or a contribution to an existing codebase, so the concepts get used under constraints.
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Build in peer learning
The Google case points to collaboration as part of how engineers learn a codebase. Code review, pairing and asking colleagues why a design exists are practical ways to do the same.
Judge approaches on four axes
| Axis | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| Connection to real work | Does the learning solve a task you actually have? |
| Structure and guidance | Is there a path and someone or something to correct you? |
| Peer learning | Can you work through it with other people? |
| Time to practise | Is time protected, or do you have to find it yourself? |
For managers and team leads
Offering a course catalogue is not the same as enabling learning. With 48% of surveyed developers finding their own time, the practical lever is protected time and real projects to apply skills to. Ask developers directly whether they have time to learn, because the report suggests managers and developers see this differently.
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