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10 things software developers should learn about learning
Brown N., Hermans F., Margulieux L. Communications of the ACM67 78-87,2024.Type:Article
Date Reviewed: Jul 29 2024

In today’s fast-changing world where groundbreaking technologies are emerging to eclipse their predecessors at an unprecedented pace, continuous learning is not an option but a necessity for practitioners. Understanding how humans learn and memorize can help us do so more effectively.

The article starts by diving into how humans learn and memorize, and where parallels can be drawn with how computers work (as well as where they cannot, and why that is good). Further, it explores the importance of learning in a world where information is easily accessible and how experts learn differently compared to newbies, and provides some practical tips to adopt. The authors cover a lot of ground while drawing on the research from cognitive psychology and education, debunking common misconceptions, promoting a growth mindset, and offering practical tips for recruiting and for learning and training. Therefore, it has breadth for the readers who enjoy it, but readers who prefer depth on a topic may feel deprived.

The authors’ approach is research based, and the strategies discussed, such as spaced repetition, interleaving, and so on, are widely known to be backed by numerous studies as highly effective learning techniques. The provided recommendations are practical and tailored to the software industry, hiring, and development. The core focus is individual learning, though omitting aspects of collaborative learning feels like a gap that could have been addressed.

In conclusion, this article is a strong introduction to evidence-backed learning strategies. Although the title specifically targets software developers, the discussed points are applicable to any technical field that requires continuous learning to improve learning efficiency and knowledge retention. The examples are software specific but the recommendations preserve their relevance for effective learning in general.

Reviewer:  Ashish Vaidya Review #: CR147798
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