GitLab
GitLab is "a single application for the entire software development lifecycle." Like GitHub, it wraps the experience of the Git version-tracking system in a social, hosted interface. Its Community Edition is MIT-licensed open source and may be self-hosted.
Contents
Use cases
Use it as an LMS
A class can use a GitLab instance as a replacement learning management system—a place where students can post their coursework, interact on Issues, and share a common wiki. This might be especially relevant for courses related to software development, but it can also be done in non-technical courses—particularly if the aim is to teach students how to participate in a collaborative process together.
How to use it
GitLab.com is a hosted instance of GitLab, and users can simply create an account there, thus becoming part of a conventional commercial platform. But GitLab can also be self-hosted (see various install methods here), including through Sandstorm and Cloudron; that way, the entire instance can be devoted just to the course or the department and the data can be retained on educator-controlled servers.
Replacement for
- GitHub, a proprietary, centralized platform owned by Microsoft
- Learning management systems