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Short-form development is an important topic in psychometric research, which requires researchers to face methodological choices at different steps. The statistical techniques traditionally used for shortening tests, which belong to the so-called exploratory model, make assumptions not always verified in psychological data. This article proposes a machine learning-based autonomous procedure for short-form development that combines explanatory and predictive techniques in an integrative approach. The study investigates the item-selection performance of two autoencoders: a particular type of artificial neural network that is comparable to principal component analysis. The procedure is tested on artificial data simulated from a factor-based population and is compared with existent computational approaches to develop short forms. Autoencoders require mild assumptions on data characteristics and provide a method to predict long-form items' responses from the short form. Indeed, results show that they can help the researcher to develop a short form by automatically selecting a subset of items that better reconstruct the original item's responses and that preserve the internal structure of the long-form.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many workers have been forced to work from home. In this situation, the boundaries between work and private life have become particularly blurred, and recovering from work was even more difficult than in traditional times, with negative consequences for workers' health. Among the psychological experiences that might underlie the recovery process, mastery played a crucial role as people sought new stimuli and challenging situations. However, there are few articles that have explored the role of this specific recovery experience, its antecedents, and the health consequences under conditions of work from home. Therefore, in this multiwave study, we aimed to investigate the role of mastery as a mediator between supervisor support and insomnia problems. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy and had a three-wave design. A convenience sample of 130 employees (67% women) completed an online questionnaire. Hypotheses were tested using a three-wave autoregressive cross-lagged panel model. According to the results, supervisor support at Time 1 was positively related to mastery at Time 2, which in turn showed a negative association with insomnia at Time 3. The results demonstrated that mastery experiences have played a crucial role during COVID-19 mandatory work from home, which points to some potential implications for workers' health in the adoption of teleworking beyond the emergency situation.

This study examined the factors that contributed to ePortfolio persistence in an online program from data collected in 2016 (Thibodeaux, Harapnuik, & Cummings, 2017) and again in 2018. A myriad of research points to learning portfolios as having transformational power; however, many traditional instructional models that use ePortfolios in higher education downplay the significance and transformational learning that effective ePortfolios offer. To research this phenomenon, a convergent, parallel mixed-methods design was used to gather data from an online program in order to explore the learning conditions and context of ePortfolio usage over multiple years. Results indicated that real-world projects and authentic artifacts, the ePortfolio used as a career tool, and management of the ePortfolio were common factors identified in studies that contributed to continued use of the ePortfolio. Findings also revealed that learner autonomy, control, and agency, as well as continued opportunities for choice and voice, led to increased appreciation and ownership of the ePortfolio beyond the program of study.

The focus of this article is on topic management and student initiation in the context of an advanced university-level Chinese-as-a-foreign-language class. Drawing on a corpus of 17.5 h of video-recorded classroom interactions, we focus on the ways in which students initiate topic expansions, thereby disrupting the IRF structure of discourse and enhancing learning opportunities. We identified three types of student-initiated topic expansions: genuine questions, topic elaborations and challenges to teacher assertions. We discuss our findings in relation to the enhancement of content and language learning opportunities, and we highlight several avenues for future research and implications for pedagogy.

In recent years, changes in business, new technology, and greater competitiveness and dynamism have all resulted in a need for new skills. This study focuses on soft skills in accounting education, exploring the viewpoints of both graduates and employers. Our main question is to better understand if there is a right match between graduates' perceptions and companies' expectations of the skills that are needed. 251 Italian graduates (Department of Management) and 74 Italian joint-stock companies completed a self-report questionnaire. Graduates attributed a higher level of importance to the following macro-areas of skills: task orientation, motivation, self-awareness, valorisation, and interpersonal relationships. Graduates, compared to companies, underestimated the importance of other soft skills and one specific technical skill, and overestimated other technical skills. Graduates' views are partially in accordance with employers' views; accounting education still needs to progress and the engagement of academics is fundamental to enhance the skills required by employers.

Background: Trauma is a ubiquitous and harmful public health concern. Much like individuals, organizations experience trauma and can embed it within their culture. Left unaddressed, trauma inhibits staff from confronting problems, communicating effectively, and generating solutions, factors that undermine organizational functioning. In response to trauma's far-reaching impact, recent efforts have focused on creating "trauma-informed" systems that emphasize safety and avoid retraumatization. Trauma-informed systems are uniquely connected to relationships, as the impact of trauma both impairs relationships and is heightened in the absence of quality relationships. Developing trauma-informed relationships is therefore critical to creating a healing organizational culture. Aims: The objective of this article is to describe the process through which the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) developed and implemented their Trauma-Informed Systems (TIS) Initiative, an organizational model to address trauma at the systems level. The article highlights the centrality of trauma-informed relationships to the initiative's guiding principles, activities, and implementation process. Discussion: Six core principles underlie the work of the SFDPH's TIS Initiative: (1) Understanding Trauma & Stress, (2) Compassion & Dependability, (3) Safety & Stability, (4) Collaboration & Empowerment, (5) Cultural Humility & Responsiveness, (6) Resilience & Recovery. Initiative components focus on creating and sustaining trauma-informed knowledge (i.e., foundational training, train-the-trainer program) and organizational practices (i.e., aligned efforts, leadership, and champion engagement). Conclusion: Trauma-informed systems represent an emergent organization-level intervention designed to address trauma and its sequelae. SFDPH's TIS Initiative is creating a healing organization through its innovative response to the impact of trauma.

Offering counselling to students is increasingly considered as a key academic service. However, the reduction of resources allocated to Italian universities emphasises the need to assess the quality of interventions. This paper presents data reporting the effectiveness of a university counselling service. A sample of 45 undergraduate students completed a cognitive-relational intervention at a counselling service in a University in the North of Italy. The project focused on the development of reappraisal skills and problem-solving strategies to manage difficult situations. The results showed a significant pre and post-intervention reduction in self-reported psychopathological symptoms (measured with Symptoms Check List 90-Revised) as well as in general levels of distress (measured with Clinical Outcome in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure). A significant increase in reappraisal levels, measured with the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, was observed, which is a focal element of the counselling intervention. There were no detectable changes in the level of suppression.

Building a criminal justice program as a multidimensional resource requires a broad sense of purpose, the involvement of faculty and staff from many disciplines, the cooperation and partnership of criminal justice practitioners, and the involvement of the community. This coalition of personnel and resources should assist students in understanding that criminal justice must be seen within its academic, professional, geographic, social, and cultural context. It should enrich public understanding of the criminal justice system and allow the college to serve the community in a significant manner. In short, a college criminal justice program should be understood as a continuing investment in the civic life of the community.

Describes a project at Bergen Community College, New Jersey, that attempts to develop a "sense of place" in students so that their private stake in a place can become a public concern and a personal issue. (SLD)

Draws on 13 years experience teaching behavior-disordered students to identify effective teaching methods. Discusses the importance of honesty, fairness, consistency, persistence, intuition, praise, and humor in the teacher-student relationship. Provides eight guidelines for developing a workable and suitable classroom reward system. (JHZ)

Outlines a project dealing with Cuban immigration within the context of U.S. foreign and immigration policy. Examines how Cubans have adapted to and affected their American communities. Discusses how instruction for the project utilized television, textbooks, and other printed materials. (BSR)

Offers a conceptual framework through which to view professional or occupational education, focusing on the influence of current practices within the field, the existing state of knowledge and technology, and social developments and needs. Discusses the history and future of professional preparation in education with respect to these influences. (DMM)

Current political issues arising from interactions between culturally divergent groups and ideals are based on complex value systems. The following themes illustrate the conflict between the function of schools and the role of government: (1) conservatism; (2) current conditions; (3) the current political scene, (4) issues concerning schooling; and (5) implications for teacher education. (JN)

Bergen Community College (BCC) created an institutional focus that allows faculty, staff, students, and administrators to join forces in understanding the suburban sense of place that defines the communities it serves. Bridging the various college departments enables BCC to connect local issues to regional, national, and international matters related to the "middle landscape." This institutional focus has a significant role in building leadership and community at each level of operation.