Learning by Doing: Experiential Learning in Criminal Justice

This article highlights the efforts of colleagues in a criminal justice department to offer experiential learning opportunities (ELOs) to undergraduate students. Operating within the framework of a liberal arts curriculum, we provide criminal justice majors with a range of opportunities that fall under the general rubric of “experiential learning”, including the following: internships, field trips, service-learning, and research projects. Our goal was to combine the academic rigors of traditional, classroom-based learning with exposure to hands-on, real-world, subject-based knowledge. We explain the multistage framework that is used to tie all of our ELOs together across the curriculum. Results from a senior and alumni survey indicate that experiential learning offers significant academic and professional benefits for students.     

Inhibitory activities of microalgal extracts against Epstein-Barr virus DNA release from lymphoblastoid cells

This study aimed to assess the inhibitory activities of methanol extracts from the microalgae Ankistrodesmus convolutus, Synechococcus elongatus, and Spirulina platensis against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in three Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cell lines, namely Akata, B95-8, and P3HR-1. The antiviral activity was assessed by quantifying the cell-free EBV DNA using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. The methanol extracts from Ankistrodesmus convolutus and Synechococcus elongatus displayed low cytotoxicity and potent effect in reducing cell-free EBV DNA (EC(50)<0.01 μg/ml) with a high therapeutic index (>28000). After fractionation by column chromatography, the fraction from Synechococcus elongatus (SEF1) reduced the cell-free EBV DNA most effectively (EC(50)=2.9 μg/ml, therapeutic index>69). Upon further fractionation by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the sub-fraction SEF1'a was most active in reducing the cell-free EBV DNA (EC(50)=1.38 μg/ml, therapeutic index>14.5). This study suggests that microalgae could be a potential source of antiviral compounds that can be used against EBV.     

What Makes an Organization a Great Place to Work in South Korea?

The purpose of this study is to identify diverse factors that positively and negatively affect a workplace and to suggest a model for great places to work in South Korean organizational contexts. The research questions guiding the study are (a) What are the most desirable characteristics of a great place to work? and (b) What are the most undesirable characteristics of a bad place to work? An online survey and mobile application with two questions asking about the components of the most desirable and undesirable characteristics of workplaces were distributed to 1,500 randomly selected job seekers and currently employed persons in various organizations in South Korea. Out of the 1,500 surveys sent, 786 people responded (a response rate of 53%). Based on the survey data, the study identified various factors that positively and negatively affect people's perceptions of a great or bad place to work, including employee welfare, pay, working hours, work environments, and interpersonal relationships. From an in‐depth analysis, the study proposes a model for great places to work in South Korea. Discussions and implications for practice and future research are included.