[rrmm]

I think it's hugely important to learn how to interact with VCS for software development. It makes backing up easier, it makes debugging easier, it makes releasing software easier. It is a necessary skill in the professional world.

Currently, it's also the way software developers talk to each other. Even if students don't come away intimately knowing a VCS, they should be aware they are out there, and the common usage patterns they enable.

It would be useful for the course to give a little background in VCS and DVCS concepts and then an introduction to the major types. From there both subversion and git/hg could be used hands on to practice the concepts.

The developer world seems to be leaning towards git, so perhaps spend the most time there. But again, the basic concepts and workflows should be stressed no matter what, because tools come and go.