Watch It! I’m Growing Here: Inventory, Assessment, and Recommendations of the University of Pennsylvania’s Street Tree Surface Treatments

Street trees are a multi-beneficial green infrastructure that are under substantial environmental stress, which many take for granted. On the University of Pennsylvania’s campus, the maintenance for these trees grows as more trees are added and cared for, from canopy to surface material choice. Cataloging and assessing Penn’s trees and recommendations for potential surface treatments are provided to determine the most effective and low-maintenance surface material while also not negatively impacting the tree

The influence of model-based biases and observer prior experience on social learning mechanisms and strategies

This thesis investigated social learning mechanisms and strategies relating to the characteristics of a model (the individual transmitting the information) and the prior experience of an observer (the individual acquiring the social information) in children and chimpanzees. Experimental designs that mirrored naturalistic settings enabled an investigation of how social learning mechanisms and strategies were affected by: (1) the characteristics of a model, (2) the prior experience of an observer, (3) continued model demonstrations and (4) repeated observer interactions with the task. If models provided viable novel solutions then their characteristics seemed ineffectual upon children’s copying of these solutions. Yet the characteristics of the model did influence children’s copying of irrelevant actions; children who observed an adult reproduced more causally irrelevant actions than those who observed a child. Furthermore, when a known peer with higher, rather than lower, past-proficiency matched a child’s original solution the child was more likely to continue using this solution. Chimpanzees were biased towards touching the tool seeded by a known conspecific with higher, rather than lower, past proficiency but this bias did not affect which tool a chimpanzee successfully used. Both species showed an ability to learn multiple demonstrated methods of success within their corresponding tasks and to explore beyond demonstrated methods. It is argued that both species show more task-behavioural flexibility than previously thought and the implications for this in terms of cultural evolution are discussed

The Effects of IXL Practice on Geometry and Fraction Achievement

The purpose of this action research was to examine the effects of technology-based mathematics practice on student achievement in comparison to more traditional practice methods. The research took place in both a fourth-grade and a sixth-grade classroom in the same school. Technology-based practice was done using an iPad program called IXL and traditional practice was completed with paper and pencil on worksheets. Data was collected in the form of pretest and posttest scores, assignment completion rates, student behaviors, teacher reflections and student surveys. The data did not show any conclusive evidence that one practice method is better than the other. It is concluded that a combination of both practice methods may be most beneficial for student learning. After completing this research, a next possible step would be to further examine the influences on student learning based on grade level and mathematical concept when using technology and traditional practice methods. Keywords: technology-based practice, iPad, mathematics, traditional practic

Volume 38 (2006)

The 2006 edition of The Broad River Review was edited by C. V. Davis and Amanda Wood. The publication contains fiction, non-fiction, poetry, art, and photography. The cover, Peacock, was photographed by Scott Holstein. The winner of the J. Calvin Koontz poetry award, given annually for a portfolio of poetry to a senior English major, is Summer Hess. The Broad River Review Editor\u27s Prizes in Fiction and Poetry are chosen among all submissions from Gardner-Webb University students.the Editor\u27s Prize in Poetry was awarded to Amanda Wood for her poem titled, Eden and the Editor\u27s Prize in Fiction was awarded to Ashley Mays for her short story titled, Hannah and Shawn.https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/brreview/1012/thumbnail.jp

A systematic review of cross-sectional differences and longitudinal changes to the morphometry of the brain following paediatric traumatic brain injury

Paediatric traumatic brain injury (pTBI) is a leading cause of disability for children and young adults. Children are a uniquely vulnerable group with the disease process that occurs following a pTBI interacting with the trajectory of normal brain development. Quantitative MRI post-injury has suggested a long-term, neurodegenerative effect of TBI on the morphometry of the brain, in both adult and childhood TBI. Changes to the brain beyond that of anticipated, age-dependant differences may allow us to estimate the state of the brain post-injury and produce clinically relevant predictions for long-term outcome. The current review synthesises the existing literature to assess whether, following pTBI, the morphology of the brain exhibits either i) longitudinal change and/or ii) differences compared to healthy controls and outcomes. The current literature suggests that morphometric differences from controls are apparent cross-sectionally at both acute and late-chronic timepoints post-injury, thus suggesting a non-transient effect of injury. Developmental trajectories of morphometry are altered in TBI groups compared to patients, and it is unlikely that typical maturation overcomes damage post-injury, or even ‘catches up’ with that of typically-developing peers. However, there is limited evidence for diverted developmental trajectories being associated with cognitive impairment post-injury. The current review also highlights the apparent challenges to the existing literature and potential methods by which these can be addressed