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Computational thinking (CT) skills are becoming increasingly relevant for future professionals across all domains, beyond computer science (CS). As such, an increasing number of bachelor's and master's programs outside of the CS discipline integrate CT courses within their study program. At the same time, tools such as notebooks and interactive apps designed to support the teaching of programming concepts are becoming ever more popular. However, in non-CS majors, CT might not be perceived as essential, and students might lack the motivation to engage with such tools in order to acquire solid CT skills. This article presents a field study conducted with 115 students during a full semester on a novel computational notebook environment. It evaluates computational notebooks and CT skills in an introductory course on information technology for first-year undergraduates in business and economics. A multidimensional evaluation approach makes use of pre-and post-test surveys, lectures, and self-directed laboratory sessions tracking analytics. Our findings suggest that, in the process of learning CT for non-CS students, engagement in active learning activities can be a stronger determinant of learning outcomes than initial knowledge. Furthermore, gamifying computational notebooks can serve as a strong driver of active learning engagement, even more so than initial motivational factors.

Despite decades of prevention, tobacco addiction is still a widespread health concern responsible for around 8 million deaths per year. Existing digital smoking cessation solutions such as social media are becoming increasingly popular and represent a novel approach to find community support. However, little is known about how they affect smoking behavior. This research aims to understand what motivates people to join online communities and how their participation affects their attitudes and behaviors. To do so, this article conducts an in-depth analysis of the popular Reddit r/StopSmoking thread through three complementary studies. Using the transtheoretical model and the uses and gratification theory, Study 1 aims at understanding the link between motivation factors, engagement and outcomes through a user survey. Study 2 aims at understanding the engagement by analyzing the content of 10 years of user interaction data. Study 3 attempts to gain further knowledge of interactions by examining the reaction of the community to a crisis situation such as that of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Findings convey the fact that participation in such communities has a favorable impact on the change process towards quitting. Results show that providing social support to others is the biggest contributing factor for participating in the community. User interactions analysis confirmed that survey responses were accurate reflections of actual user activity. Regarding the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, results suggest that it increased levels of stress and depression in the community while decreasing active engagement, indicating that there may be opportunities for improvement in dealing with tough situations.

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