Mob Programming: better together? Michael Hilton Associate Teaching Professor Institute for Software Research Carnegie Mellon University [email protected] @michaelhilton 

Hello! I am: An Associate Teaching Professor I teach Software Engineering Classes I also do research on SE and education I was a developer for ~10 years 

What is Mob Programming All the brilliant people working on the same thing, at the same time, in the same space, on the same computer. – Woody Zuill (the discoverer of Mob Programming) 

Why would anyone want this? 

It’s not about getting the MOST out of your team,it’s about getting the BEST out of your team 

Solo Programming source: http://i.imgur.com/fGlgTyg.gif 

Solo Programming 

Pair Programming 

Pair Programming 

Mob Programming 

Mob Programming 

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Mob Programming Roles The Driver: “no thinking, just typing” The Navigator: the main person programming The Mob: Checking the navigator, Contributing insights, Getting ready to rotate The Facilitator: Help guide the mob (optional) 

When to rotate Teams can decide, some common triggers are: Time Unit Test Passing Others? 

Consume First vs Build Up 

Build Up Example public int x; public int y; What should you do next? 

Point p = new Point(10, 20); public int What should you do next? public Point(int x, int y) { } Consume First Example 

Point p = new Point(10, 20); public int What should you do next? assert ( p, …); Consume First Example (Better?) 

We will treat everyone with Kindness, Consideration, and Respect 

Kindness Treat others the way you would like to be treated 

Consideration We show consideration by listening. The Driver should be listening to the Navigator The Navigator should be listening to be Mob. 

Respect “We always assume that the person who wrote the code before us did the best they could with the knowledge and circumstances they were in at the time they wrote it” 

Mob Programming Tips and Tricks 

Mob Programming in Education Online Mob Programming, Developed as a way to bring benefits of Mob Programming into the classroom Observations: - The structure of Mob Programming was helpful - Reflection was more helpful for learning than just discussion https://repository.isls.org/bitstream/1/4532/1/855-856.pdf Takeaway: Retrospectives offer improvement AND Learning for the team 

Mob programming Resources: Mob mentality youtube channel Trello Board 

Mob Programming RPG Found on Github 

Remote Mob Programming https://www.remotemobprogramming.org/ 

Mobs as a tool for inclusivity? Sal describes her experiences participating in a mob from the perspective of someone diagnosed with autism Mobbing was remote, and the freedom to tailor the physical environment was very helpful Structured roles can be very helpful for neurodivergent team member(s) https://cucumber.io/blog/bdd/inclusive-benefits-of-mob-programming/ 

Please feel free to reach out! Email: [email protected] Twitter: @michaelhilton