Tools for Distributed Scrum

Correct Answer: Use a collaborative IDE like Visual Studio Code Live Sharing

While Google Hangouts and Skype do allow for video calls and can facilitate communication, they don't inherently provide the most efficient platform for pair programming, especially in a distributed team where real-time collaboration on code is required. The statement 'Pair programming is not possible with a distributed team' is incorrect – pair programming is actually highly beneficial in distributed teams as it encourages strong collaboration and more effective problem-solving. The best tool choice would be a collaborative IDE such as 'Visual Studio Code Live Sharing'. It allows multiple developers to share and work on the same codebase in real-time, regardless of their physical location, greatly enhancing the pair programming process. Its benefits include shared servers, terminals, diffs, and more – it significantly improves the synchronous collaboration between team members, which is why this is the best choice.

Correct Answer: Trello

Trello is the best tool choice to help a remote team track product backlog efficiently. This is because, as a visual management tool, Trello allows you to create boards for various projects and tasks, add all team members, and assign tasks to individuals or groups. In terms of Scrum, you can create a column for the product backlog, the sprint backlog, work in progress, and done items, moving cards along the workflow as they make progress. This way, everyone on the team will see the priorities and the status of tasks instantly, enhancing remote collaboration and transparency. While Slack and Hangouts are communication tools, they are not ideal for backlog tracking. Google Docs, too, is not a visual management tool, instead, it is best suited for creating, sharing and storing documents online.

Correct Answer: Online whiteboarding platform

The most effective tool for asynchronous collaboration within a distributed Scrum team, especially for backlog grooming sessions, is an 'Online whiteboarding platform'. This tool allows team members to collaboratively and visually organize, prioritize, and refine the product backlog items in real-time or at their own pace, regardless of their physical location. It offers a shared space for brainstorming, discussions, and decision-making, making it highly suitable for the dynamic and collaborative nature of backlog grooming. In contrast, 'Dedicated email threads' may lead to information overload and lack the interactive visual component. An 'Automated sprint planning bot' can automate certain tasks but lacks the human judgment and collaborative discussion necessary for effective backlog refinement. 'Multi-threaded discussion forums' offer a platform for discussion but are less effective for the visual and interactive planning tasks involved in backlog grooming. Hence, the 'Online whiteboarding platform' stands out as the optimal tool for these sessions.