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Abstract:
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Version control is a system for managing the evolution of a set of files across different people, computers, and time. Its roots are in software development, but it is increasingly important in both the practice and teaching of data science. I'll give an accessible description of what version control is and what it feels like to use it. We'll compare and contrast this to alternatives such as collaboration via Google Drive. Version control is important for educators for at least two reasons. First, it facilitates the exchange of code-rich documents between instructor and student. Second, it is a valid learning objective in and of itself, since version control is widely used by potential employers. I'll provide general information, as well as specifics relevant to the statistical programming environment R, the RStudio IDE, Git, and the GitHub hosting service.
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