The Future of Education

Developed skills in version control and collaborative development are essential in fields like Computer Science, Data Analytics, and Robotics. However, many students lack practical experience with tools such as GitHub, creating a disconnect between academic preparation and industry expectations. This study presents an educational intervention that integrates GitHub into an undergraduate Data Structures course to develop students’ technical and collaborative competencies. Visual Studio Code was used as the development environment, and all course assignments were submitted through GitHub repositories to reinforce regular version control practices, facilitate information sharing among peers and instructors, and align with common industry workflows for collaborative project management. Students completed individual and team-based projects, engaging with essential workflows such as branching, conflict resolution, and pull request reviews. All students successfully completed the GitHub-based activities, demonstrating proficiency in version control and collaborative coding. Survey data indicated that 96% of students recognized the relevance of these skills for future academic or professional projects, and 95% expressed a high likelihood of continued GitHub use beyond the course. Qualitative feedback reflected increased confidence in software documentation and teamwork. Integrating professional tools into early coursework bridges critical gaps in technology education, reinforcing course content while aligning student learning with real-world development practices. These findings support the pedagogical value of embedding industry-standard tools like GitHub into the curriculum to foster practical, future-ready skills.