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NWACC Library
Library Hours

Physical Therapy

Get help on PTA research assignments.

Activity 1 - Let's Talk Library!

We'll be collaborating on a KWL chart to explore our library.

First, you'll have a few minutes to think and jot down your own notes about the library. Then, as a class, we'll create a shared chart on the whiteboard.

K (Know):

Thinking about yourselves and your amazing classmates, what do you already KNOW about the NWACC Library that you feel can genuinely help you succeed in this Physical Therapy Assistant program?

W (Wonder):

What do you WONDER about or want to learn regarding the NWACC Library? Are there things you're curious about, or resources you're hoping they might have?

As we go through this, feel free to show support for your classmates' ideas! If someone writes something you agree with or find particularly helpful, you can add a heart (❤️) or a plus one (+1) next to it on the whiteboard.

Activity 2 - Who Needs What? Understanding Health Information Audiences

This activity focuses on understanding who needs health information and what kind they need. As healthcare professionals, knowing various audiences' information needs is key to effective communication and care. This will highlight different types of health information.

In pairs or small groups, brainstorm and discuss these questions. Without looking anything up, rely on your experiences and what has been covered. Jot down notes. A class discussion will follow.

Consider these points:

  1. The Everyday Person: What specific health information might an average person (e.g., friend, family member) need in daily life? Consider common online searches or general health discussions.

  2. The Healthcare Professional: What specific health information might a healthcare professional (e.g., PT, doctor) need for their job or informed clinical decisions?

  3. Comparing Audiences: Compare and contrast these two audiences (everyday person vs. healthcare provider) in their health information seeking. Consider:

    • Primary goals
    • Needed detail/complexity
    • Typical sources (and information type)
    • Expected language

  4. Why Audience Matters: Why is understanding the audience so important when providing or finding health information? Consider its impact on ensuring appropriate, reliable, and helpful information.

Be prepared to share insights and examples with the class. This discussion will categorize the different types of health information encountered: consumer, clinical, and medical research.

Activity 3 - Decoding a Scholarly Article: Your Evidence Pyramid & Reading Strategy Skills

Let's put our new knowledge about the medical research "evidence pyramid" into practice!

For this activity, you're welcome to work individually, in pairs, or in small groups – whatever helps you think best! We're going to dive into a real-world scholarly article. Don't worry, we're not asking you to become experts on the topic, but rather to use your critical thinking skills!

Take a look at this sample journal article:

Arbel, Y., Gimmon, Y., & Shmueli, L. (2025). Evaluating the potential of large language models for vestibular rehabilitation education: A comparison of ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and clinicians. PTJ: Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Journal, 105(4), 1+. https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzaf010, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A840575786/PPSM?u=nwestakcc&sid=bookmark-PPSM&xid=6efbe9b5

Your tasks:

  1. Where does this article fit on our evidence pyramid? Based on our recent review, how would you classify this type of study? Think about its design and what kind of evidence it provides.

  2. What's the most effective way to read this article? While a natural inclination might be to read an article from beginning to end, professionals often develop strategic approaches to efficiently extract the most important information. How would you suggest tackling this article to get the most out of it efficiently?

After you've had some time to consider these questions, we'll discuss your insights as a class. This will be a great chance to talk about how professionals truly approach scholarly articles, helping you become savvy consumers of research!

Activity 4 - Find It! Applying Your Search Skills

This activity provides hands-on practice in locating relevant research within the NWACC Library databases. It's designed to reinforce concepts from our search tool demonstration, including the strategic use of keywords and subject headings.. This will help you become comfortable with different search interfaces and how to efficiently grab citations for your research!

Access the Shared Worksheet

Your workspace for this activity is a collaborative "pageless" Google Document. Please open it by clicking this link. Once open, claim your workspace by entering your name in an available row of the table.

Databases for Exploration: For this activity, you'll use these valuable library databases to find an article for your chosen topic in each one. Your worksheet provides detailed instructions