Introduction to GitHub Copilot

A beginner-friendly, 2-hour self-paced prerequisite course that introduces GitHub Copilot basics, setup, prompting fundamentals, and safe usage before progressing to the Fundamentals of GitHub Copilot class.

Description

Introduction to GitHub Copilot is a beginner-level, 2-hour self-paced course designed as the prerequisite to Fundamentals of GitHub Copilot. It focuses on practical first steps: understanding what Copilot does, setting it up correctly, writing clear beginner prompts, and safely reviewing generated code.

This course is intentionally more basic than Fundamentals. It gives learners confidence with core features and safe usage patterns before moving into deeper topics like advanced prompting strategies, broader feature modes, governance, and enterprise-scale adoption.

Course Duration and Schedule

Self-Paced Format

Access and take the course at your own pace, with a recommended completion time of two hours.

Upcoming Training

There are currently no scheduled classes for this course. If you would like to request one, click here for more information.

Request a Class

Course Outline

Module 1: Welcome and Course Goals (10 minutes)

Welcome to Introduction to GitHub Copilot.
Course format: Self-paced, approximately 2 hours total.
Who this course is for:
- Developers new to GitHub Copilot
- Technical team members evaluating AI coding assistants
Learning Objectives:
- Understand what GitHub Copilot is and what it is not
- Set up Copilot in your IDE
- Use basic prompts to generate useful code suggestions
- Review AI-generated output for quality and safety
- Prepare for the Fundamentals of GitHub Copilot course

Module 2: What GitHub Copilot Does (20 minutes)

Plain-language overview of GitHub Copilot
Common use cases:
- Code completion
- Simple function generation
- Basic test and documentation assistance
Copilot experience basics:
- Ghost text suggestions
- Accepting, rejecting, and cycling suggestions
Expectations for beginners:
- Copilot helps you code faster
- Copilot does not replace code review or testing

Module 3: Setup and First Use (25 minutes)

Prerequisites:
- GitHub account access
- Copilot entitlement or trial
- Supported IDE (for example VS Code)
Installation walkthrough:
- Install extension
- Sign in and authorize
- Confirm Copilot is active
Basic settings:
- Enable/disable by language
- Keyboard shortcuts for suggestions
- Intro to chat panel access
Quick Checkpoint:
- Generate your first completion from a comment

Module 4: Prompting Basics for Beginners (25 minutes)

What a prompt is in coding workflows
Beginner prompting pattern:
- State task clearly
- Include expected input/output
- Add constraints (language, style, edge cases)
Prompt improvement examples:
- Vague prompt vs. specific prompt
- Single-step asks instead of large complex requests
Hands-on practice:
- Write a simple utility function with Copilot
- Refine output with one follow-up prompt

Module 5: Everyday Copilot Features (20 minutes)

Copilot Chat basics:
- Ask for explanations of code
- Ask for a simple refactor suggestion
Starter slash commands:
- /explain
- /fix
- /doc
Practical beginner scenarios:
- Generate a small helper function
- Add basic inline documentation
- Draft a few starter unit test cases

Module 6: Safe and Responsible Usage (15 minutes)

Human-in-the-loop mindset
Risks beginners should watch for:
- Incorrect or non-compiling code
- Insecure patterns
- Hallucinated libraries or APIs
- Hardcoded secrets
Safe usage checklist:
- Review generated code
- Run tests and linters
- Validate dependencies and licenses per team policy

Module 7: Prerequisite Completion and Next Steps (5 minutes)

Course recap and key takeaways
Readiness checklist for Fundamentals of GitHub Copilot:
- Installed and configured Copilot
- Comfortable with basic prompting
- Comfortable reviewing generated code
Recommended next class:
- Fundamentals of GitHub Copilot