Git Takes Two: Split-View Awareness for Collaborative Learning of Distributed Workflows in Git

TL;DR

GitAcademy introduces a browser-based platform that embeds a full Git environment with a split-view collaboration mode to train distributed Git workflows. Using a within-subject study with 26 participants in 13 pairs, the authors find that the split-view interface increases social presence and peer-learning behaviors while reducing cognitive workload, though it does not yield consistent performance gains. The system externalizes distributed-state reasoning by mirroring a partner’s local workspace (terminal, Git tree, and edits) in real time, creating a co-learning scaffold inspired by collaborative games like It Takes Two. The results suggest that split-view training can serve as a scalable scaffold for teaching collaborative Git practices and other distributed technical systems, particularly where coordination and mutual awareness are critical.

Abstract

Git is widely used for collaborative software development, but it can be challenging for newcomers. While most learning tools focus on individual workflows, Git is inherently collaborative. We present GitAcademy, a browser-based learning platform that embeds a full Git environment with a split-view collaborative mode: learners work on their own local repositories connected to a shared remote repository, while simultaneously seeing their partner's actions mirrored in real time. This design is not intended for everyday software development, but rather as a training simulator to build awareness of distributed states, coordination, and collaborative troubleshooting. In a within-subjects study with 13 pairs of learners, we found that the split-view interface enhanced social presence, supported peer teaching, and was consistently preferred over a single-view baseline, even though performance gains were mixed. We further discuss how split-view awareness can serve as a training-only scaffold for collaborative learning of Git and other distributed technical systems.

Figures (6)

• Figure 1: GitAcademy Design Overview: 1. Implementation of the split view mode. 2. Split screen interface from the Cody's perspective. Left screen: Cody's own workspace shows a Git tree visualization of his local Git repository, with (a) commits visualized as round bubbles, (b) commit messages, (c) branch references and (d) tab bar to switch between local and remote repository Git trees. Right screen: May's workspace and actions, mirrored and read only to Cody. In current view May is on File Editor component with (e) a list of files in the exercise directory, (f) a web file-editor and (g) mouse-pointer of May on her own screen (as seen by Cody) and (h) terminals.
• Figure 2: Example of a distributed workflow in GitAcademy as experienced in Cody’s front-end. Both Cody and May have mirrored views of each other’s workspaces, allowing them to follow each other's actions. Cody encounters a merge conflict, and May assists him using collaborative features available to both. Dashed description boxes represent implicit actions by May based on her awareness of Cody’s workspace. Description boxes with the same number indicate actions occurring simultaneously.
• Figure 3: Exercises. The exercises structure of Hangman and Arctic. Each consist of different tasks that follow the same exercise outline. Tasks 2 and 3 requires participants to split up and perform different sub-tasks. The exercise require same number of Git commands with a set of operations.
• Figure 4: (a) Participant responses to the social presence survey item: "I could see what the peer was doing on the Git task". (b) Participant responses to the question: "I felt we were helping each other accomplish the task".
• Figure 5: GitAcademy: Screenshot Regular View Exercise View