Looking at the challenges, it would be cool if GitHub picked that up and published best practice guides for teachers and also collaborating researchers. Such guides could come from this study and others like it. I remember they're doing research on how researchers use GitHub already.
Interesting. Interviewee can't use GitHub for their class because the servers probably are in the US: "Copyright is a big issue. For instance, we are working with a novel. In Canada, that novel is in public domain so it can be accessed online, but not in United States."