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GitHub in IT 140
This page explains why Git and GitHub appear in IT 140. The step-by-step account procedure remains in the repository README:
https://github.com/GC-STEM/it140-m1-setup-tasks/blob/main/github/README.md
Git is a version-control system included in the course IDE. Version control records changes to project files, helps recover earlier versions, and supports organized software-development workflows.
GitHub is a web-based platform for storing and sharing Git repositories, reviewing changes, and collaborating on software projects. A repository, or repo, is a project folder together with its version history.
Employers commonly identify Git as a foundational entry-level software-development skill, and GitHub is widely used by professional developers. IT 140 introduces a deliberately small part of this workflow so GitHub supports learning Python rather than becoming a second major course topic.
Sources referenced in the course documentation:
- Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement research on foundational skills
- 2025 Stack Overflow Developer Survey — community platforms
- 2025 Stack Overflow Developer Survey — documentation and collaboration tools
- O*NET OnLine demand data for Software Developers
Beginning with the Module Two Assignment, course instructions will direct you to use VS Code to clone (copy) the appropriate assignment or project repository into your Repos folder. You then work with those files in the course IDE.
You do not need to manually clone:
-
GC-STEM/it140, the central course infrastructure repository, or -
GC-STEM/it140-m1-setup-tasks, the Module One setup-instructions repository.
Only clone an assignment or project repository when course instructions direct you to do so.
GitHub is not the grading system. Follow each Brightspace assignment's What to Submit section for the files and submission method used for grading.
The GitHub setup guide shows how to enable Keep my email addresses private and record GitHub's @users.noreply.github.com address. The course IDE uses the display name and email configured for Git commits so your work has an identifiable version history without exposing your private email address.
Profile customization is separate from configuring the account information needed by the course IDE. You can choose what public profile information to share and can revisit those settings later.
For an example account used in course documentation, see Petey Penmen's GitHub profile.
GitHub renders README files written in Markdown (.md). You will encounter Markdown in IT 140, but you do not need to master it during account setup.
When you are ready, GitHub Skills provides a short Communicate using Markdown exercise.
If an .edu email address is associated with your GitHub account, GitHub may offer access to GitHub Education benefits.
GitHub Education is not needed or recommended for IT 140. Its additional tools and services can add unnecessary complexity for beginning programmers. You may find it useful later in more advanced computing courses or when exploring developer tools independently.
Applying for GitHub Education is outside the scope of IT 140 and SNHU technical support.
Return to the current account instructions:
https://github.com/GC-STEM/it140-m1-setup-tasks/blob/main/github/README.md