NU-CHAPTER Lab

Chapter-Lab-with-Ring.pngThe Northwestern University Collaborative Hubs Advancing Physical Therapy Education Research (NU-CHAPTER) Lab brings clinician-educators together to discover, integrate, apply and share new knowledge in physical therapy education. Through education research and scholarship, we aim to advance the state of physical therapy education at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and across the country.

Faculty in the Department of Physical Therapy & Human Movement Sciences established the NU-CHAPTER Lab in 2022 to facilitate mutual support, combine resources and share accountability for a common, education-focused research agenda. Our team is committed to facilitating excellent outcomes for physical therapy learners while fostering an environment that promotes the well-being of all members of the physical therapy community.

Our investigators have a diverse set of professional backgrounds and experiences in physical therapy, pedagogy and research methods, though we all share a history of engaging in education scholarship to promote physical therapy education practice more widely

Education Research Areas

Our research program focuses on four areas:

Assessment Hub

Assessment is one focus area of the NU-CHAPTER Lab. Our hub aims to develop accurate and equitable assessments that ensure meaningful learning outcomes in physical therapist trainees and to better understand the impact of assessments on learners and the learning process. 

Selected Publications, Presentations, Grants

Publications

  • Tappan RS, Holland EE, Roth HR. Educational assessments in entry-level physical therapy education: A scoping review. BMC Medical Education. 2026;26:592. Doi: 10.1186/s12909-026-08927z
  • Tappan RS, Driscoll TP. Health professions education: More than lip service. Medical Teacher. Published online February 19, 2026. Doi: 10.1080/0142159X.2026.2630975
  • Tappan RS, Freeland ML, Holland EE, Park YS, Roth HR. Comparison of standard setting procedures to establish defensible passing standards for clinical skills assessment: Angoff, Borderline Group, Contrasting Groups, and Patient Safety methods. The Clinical Teacher. 2025;22:e70198. Doi: 10.1111/tct.70198
  • Tappan RS, Roth HR, McGaghie WC. Using simulation-based mastery learning to achieve excellent learning outcomes in physical therapist education. Journal of Physical Therapy Education. 2025;39(1):40-48. doi: 1097/JTE.0000000000000358
  • Roth HR, Holland EE, Goh L, Wong E, McGaghie WC, Tappan RS. Systematic development and validity evidence for a checklist to assess bed mobility skills among physical therapy students. Journal of Allied Health. 2024;53(2):122-129.

Presentations:

 

  • Tappan RS, Miller T. Assessment Validity: The Key to Accurate, Fair, and Meaningful Educational Assessments. Presented at: Annual Physical Therapy Education Leadership Conference, October 18, 2025; Kansas City, MO.
  • Tappan RS, Holland EE, Roth HR. The Current State of the Evidence for Assessments in Physical Therapy Education: A Scoping Review. Microlearn session presented at: Annual Physical Therapy Education Leadership Conference, October 17, 2025; Kansas City, MO.
  • Tappan RS, Freeland ML, Holland EE, Park YS, Roth HR. Incorporating patient safety to establish defensible standard setting approaches for physical therapy clinical skills assessment. Paper presented at: American Educational Research Association 2025 Annual Meeting; April 26, 2025; Denver, CO.
  • Tappan RS, East A, Korslin A, Ronzone M, Sioli V, Roth HR. Feasibility of a bed mobility skills assessment in a DPT course. Poster presented at: Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association; February 14, 2025; Houston, TX.
  • Tappan RS. A logic model-based program evaluation of a cardiovascular and pulmonary course in a DPT program. Poster presented at: APTA Combined Sections Meeting: February 16, 2024; Boston, MA.
  • Roth HR, Tappan RS. Validity evidence for an assessment of transfer and wheelchair skills in first-year physical therapy students. Poster presented at: Physical Therapy Education Leadership Conference; October 14, 2023; Philadelphia, PA.
  • Tappan RS, Roth HR. Standard setting for a practical exam in a foundational physical therapy course. Poster presented at: Physical Therapy Education Leadership Conference; October 14, 2023; Philadelphia, PA.
  • Tappan RS. Assessment Validity in Health Professions Education: Making a Case for Your Assessment. Presented at: Webinar Series, Academy of Education, American Physical Therapy Association; September 7, 2023.
  • Goh L, Wong E, Holland E, Roth HR, Tappan RS. Interrater reliability testing to validate a bed mobility skills assessment in a DPT program. Platform presented at: Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association; February 25, 2023; San Diego, CA.

Grants:

Agency: American Educational Research Association, Division I
Title: Development of an assessment checklist for intervention skills in student physical therapists. 
Principal Investigator: Rachel Tappan, PT, DPT
Co-Investigators: Megan Freeland, PT, DPT; Beth Holland, PT, DPT; Heidi Roth, PT, DHS
Direct costs per year: $1,000.00
Total costs for project period: $1,000.00
Project period: 5/1/25 – 4/30/25

Contact the Assessment Team

Want to get involved with or have questions about the Assessment Hub? Email our director: rachel-tappan@northwestern.edu. Meet all our team members below:

Clinical Education Hub

Clinical education is one focus area of the NU-CHAPTER Lab. Our hub aims to promote excellence in clinical education through scholarship in clinical education administration as well as learner and educator experience and development.

Selected Publications, Presentations, Grants

 

Presentations: 

  • Donahue M, Latva K, Zook-Arquines CA*. The Clinical Education Price Tag: Understanding Costs of Clinical Education from DPT Student Perspectives. Presented at: American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting; Feb 12-14, 2026; Anaheim, CA. 
  • Holland E, Becker K, Gould H, Martinez G, Ridgway I, Yeates TD, Arquines C. DPT Education for Interrupting Microaggressions Using the VITALS Framework. Poster presented at: Northwestern University Physical Therapy & Human Movement Sciences poster day; March 25, 2025; Chicago, IL. 
  • Van Der Laan KF, Zook-Arquines CA. DCEs’ Perspectives on Remediation in DPT Clinical Education: Need for a Unifying Framework and Definition. Presented at: Physical Therapy Education Leadership Conference; October 19, 2024; Oakland, CA. 
  • Revealing Physical Therapy Clinical Education Costs: Perspectives of Illinois DCEs. Arquines C*, Latva K. M. Platform presented at: the American Physical Therapy Association Education Leadership Conference; October 18-20, 2024; Oakland, CA. 
  • Holland B*, Yeates T*, Grovner T, Singh N, Bitoy A, Arquines C*.  Equity in Action: Addressing Microaggressions in Health Professions Education. Session presented at: the American Physical Therapy Association Education Leadership Conference; October 18-20, 2024; Oakland, CA. 
  • Van Der Laan K*, Arquines C*. DCEs’ Perspectives on Remediation in DPT Clinical Education: Need for a Unifying Framework and Definition. Platform presented at: the American Physical Therapy Association Education Leadership Conference; October 18-20, 2024; Oakland, CA. 
  • DeMott Yeates T*, Holland EE*, Zook-Arquines C*. Students' Experiences of Microaggressions during Physical Therapy Clinical Education. Platform presented at: the American Physical Therapy Association Education Leadership Conference; October 13-15, 2023; Philadelphia, PA. 

Contact the Clinical Education Team

Want to get involved with or have questions about the Clinical Education Hub? Email our director: cori.arquines@northwestern.edu. Meet all our team members below.

Leadership Hub

Leadership is one focus area of the NU-Chapter Lab. Our hub aims to advance the scholarship surrounding the training and development of future leaders within the physical therapy profession. We focus on the discovery of best practices in leadership development to promote and support the development of leaders, individual and collective leadership, and the organizational cultures necessary to advance the dynamic and innovative future of healthcare.

Selected Publications, Presentations, Grants

Publications:

  • Brown DS, Latva KS. Six essential foundations to build success for new physical therapy faculty. Accepted for publication ahead of print. J Phys Ther Educ. 2025 DOI: 10.1097/JTE.0000000000000457
  • Becker ES. Exploring the Peer Leadership Network of Rehabilitation Healthcare Professionals Following Leader Development Training. J Healthc Leadersh. 2024;16:39-52. https://doi.org/10.2147/JHL.S443203
  • Becker ES, Grant M, Witte MM, Deveikis LT, Traisman RK. Exploring outcomes in formal physical therapy mentorship programs. Education in the Health Professions. 2023;6:34-41. https://doi.org/10.4103/EHP.EHP_2_23
  • Collaboration: Taylor S, Carpenter J, Collins K, Becker E. Impact of an on-going pandemic: influence of wearing a mask on therapist communication. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2022;103:e170.

Presentations:

Grants:

Agency: Illinois Physical Therapy Foundation
Title: Motivations of New Faculty to Participate in Faculty Development
Principal Investigator: Dawn S. Brown PT, DPT, EdD, OCS and Kristina Latva, PT, DPT, EdD
Direct costs per year: $1,000.00
Total costs for project period: $1,000.00
Project period: 1/1/25 – 12/31/25 

Contact the Leadership Team

Want to get involved with or have questions about the Leadership Hub? Email our director: emily.becker@northwestern.edu. Meet all our team members below.

Learning Environment Hub

The learning environment is one focus area of the NU-Chapter Lab. Our hub aims to engage in and promote research that explores the learning environment to enhance student well-being and learner engagement.

Selected Publications, Presentations, Grants

Publications:

  • Becker ES, Van Der Laan KF, Wiedman C, Healey WE, Sullivan JE, Birch D, Sim M, Tysseling V. Perspectives on Advising in DPT Education: Opportunities for Growth and Improvement. J Rehab Pract Res. 2025;6(2):188.
    https://https://doi.org/10.33790/jrpr1100188

Presentations:

  • Hoder J, Adams T, Van Der Laan KF, Healey WE, Rodriguez J. Restorative Practices in Physical Therapy: From Classroom to Clinic. APTA Combined Sections Meeting, February 14, 2026; Anaheim, CA 
  • Van Der Laan KF, Healey WE, Sukal Moulton T, Kanaley MA, Deasey B, Jamann E, Yeates TD. Restorative Practices in Physical Therapy Education: Use of Circles to Build Community and Address Challenges. Education Leadership Conference, October 19, 2024; Oakland, CA. 
  • VITALS Framework. Education Leadership Conference, October 19, 2024; Oakland, CA 
  • Van Der Laan K. Panelist. Effective Accommodations for Students with Disabilities. American Council for Academic Physical Therapy Inclusive Horizons Summit on Accessibility, June 21, 2024; Chicago, IL. 

Grants:

Agency: Illinois Physical Therapy Foundation
Title: Creation of a Contemporary Conceptual Framework for Assessing Professionalism and Ethics in DPT Students: 21st Century Societal Expectations
Principal Investigator: Krista Van Der Laan, PT, DPT, OCS
Co-Investigators: Emily Becker, PT, EdD; Bill Healey, PT, EdD; Rachel Tappan, PT, DPT; Tobey Yeates, PT, DPT
Direct costs per year: $1,000.00
Total costs for project period: $1,000.00
Project period: 1/1/25 – 8/31/26 

Contact the Learning Environment Team

Want to get involved with or have questions about the Learning Environment Hub? Email our co-directors: krista-vanderlaan@northwestern.edu and t-demott@northwestern.edu. Meet all our team members below:

Collaborate With Us

To increase the impact of this important work, we invite health professions education scholars to contact us for collaboration opportunities. Contact our assistant chair of Education Research below.

Email: rachel-tappan@northwestern.edu
Phone: 312-503-2184

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