Abstract

In software engineering pedagogy, a persistent challenge is the comprehensive assessment of student contributions within software repositories. This study delves into the investigation of the GitTruck tool, initially designed for professional software engineers, and explores its adaptability and effectiveness within an academic setting. We specifically focus on the tool’s potential for educators when assessing Capstone software repositories. Our results emphasize that educators found bubble chart visualization and metrics such as “Top Contributor” and “Number of Commits” helpful in understanding group dynamics and contribution. We also discuss the tool’s limitations among visual techniques and metrics used. As the educational landscape shifts towards increased virtual and remote modalities, tools like Git-Truck are poised to augment the intricacy and depth of software project evaluations. For those considering adopting or adapting such tools in similar contexts, our study offers the challenges and lessons learned from this experience. © 2025 Copyright held by the owner/author(s).