GitIt: An Interactive Online Platform for Teaching Command Line Based Skills Through Visualizations

Abstract

We developed Gitit, the infrastructure to teach command line and version control skills which are essential for academia and industry. The tool provides an accessible, engaging experience that supports learners in developing early practical computer skills. Gitit is a web-based interactive platform designed to teach command line and Git through interactive visualizations, scaffolded exercises, and real-time feedback. Gitit is influenced by other tools that emphasize low cognitive load, learning by exploration, and progressive learning. The development of Gitit was motivated by our prior work on a longitudinal study examining students' perception of early exposure to practical computing skills. This study revealed that students value learning early computing skills, but their long-term perception diminishes over time. Gitit enables exercise and classroom management for instructors and student progress metrics. The system was evaluated through an expert evaluation and a pilot comparative study between beginner and expert user. We found that our system achieved a System Usability Scale (SUS) score of 82.5, indicating excellent usability. Additionally, the pilot comparative study demonstrates the tool's ability to support customized learning and identify differences between students. Thus, Gitit offers a scalable and adaptable solution for practical computing education through a learning platform with the potential to improve instructional outcomes and better prepare students' practical computing skills.