To GitHub or Not to GitHub?
Andrea E. Johnson · 2021
While preparing students for careers upon graduation, faculty often have to manage the priorities of bridging the gap between the level of student preparation and the expected level of preparedness. The prioritization of these tasks is influenced by discipline and industry specific guidelines and does not always align with the experience of students at Historically Black College and Universities (HBCU) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSI). The Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) 2013 Computer Science Curricula guidelines highlight version control as one of many core tools in the Social Issues and Professional Practice (SP) Knowledge Area students should experience in their upper-level software engineering courses. Research has demonstrated that at this level, students receive exposure to the tool but are not able to gain sufficient mastery of the tool. Other researchers have advocated for version control being introduced earlier in the computer science curricula. There is limited research that indicates that this particular tool improves the learning outcomes for students or significantly complements the other ACM Knowledge Areas. This presentation seeks to challenge the notion that the use of version control systems improves HBCU students' computational thinking (CT) skills and in turn prepares them for careers beyond graduation. It is important to note, there is no research that directly addresses the use of version control in predominately African American classrooms.