Much of our behaviour is guided and controlled by observing others around us. We instinctively imitate our peers, and follow normative standards of behaviour. As a result, I believe that the most effective learning occurs in a social context; with the presence of peers to shape and guide behaviours.
I also believe that learning is at the centre of what we do as software developers. Functioning software is seemingly more a by-product of learning than the converse.
It is therefore a great pity that modern development methods seem tailor-made to encourage developers to work alone; to minimize the need for contact with their peers and colleagues, and to reduce the need for social interaction.
For example, part of the appeal of the modern distributed version control system is that it allows individuals to work independently and alone, without requiring coordination or synchronisation.
It is possible that this has a rational basis; After all Fred Brooks' analysis in: "The Mythical Man-Month" suggests that optimally sized teams are composed of a single solitary individual, Conway's Law also seems to suggest that maximum modularity is achieved by distributed teams.
Perhaps developer solitude really is the global optimum towards which we, as an industry, are headed. However, this clearly neglects the important social aspects of human behaviour, as well as our need to learn as a group.
I wonder if we ever see a resurgence of tools that support and encourage face-to-face social interaction and learning; rather than obviate the need for it.
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