Career development issues among Japanese work groups

Conclusion Like most of the industrialized nations of the world, Japan is undergoing changes in its occupational structure, in its societal values about work and achievement, and in the demographics of its work force. These changes have different types of impact on the career development of young workers, initial entry and reentry women, and older workers.As greater clarity is established on how these populations differ between and within groups, Japan's policy-makers have become aware that different types of intervention programs must be developed and implemented for each of these groups. However, there is not a sufficient number of counselors, who are trained to deal with the career development and transition to work issues presented by each of these groups, to respond to the growing needs for career counseling and career guidance across the nation. Clearly, a national agenda for serving a work force in Japan which is aging, diversifying, and entering and adjusting to an occupational environment which is itself in flux must include major attention to counselor preparation, research in career development across the life-span, and the development and testing of career development programs tailored to multiple individual and group needs.     

Computerized adaptive testing in instructional settings

Item response theory (IRT) has most often been used in research on computerized adaptive testing (CAT). Depending on the model used, IRT requires between 200 and 1,000 examinees for estimating item parameters. Thus, it is not practical for instructional designers to develop their own CAT based on the IRT model. Frick improved Wald's sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) by combining it with normative expert systems reasoning, referred to as an EXSPRT-based CAT. While previous studies were based on re-enactments from historical test data, the present study is the first to examine how well these adaptive methods function in a real-time testing situation. Results indicate that the EXSPRT-I significantly reduced test lengths and was highly accurate in predicting mastery. EXSPRT is apparently a viable and practical alternative to IRT for assessing mastery of instructional objectives.     

Use of astronomical literature—A report on usage patterns

In this paper we present a number of metrics for usage of the SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS). Since the ADS is used by the entire astronomical community, these are indicative of how the astronomical literature is used. We will show how the use of the ADS has changed both quantitatively and qualitatively. We will also show that different types of users access the system in different ways. Finally, we show how use of the ADS has evolved over the years in various regions of the world.