Literature Review
The end of the Iraq War and downsizing of troops in Afghanistan coupled with the most generous GI Bill of its kind have led to a dramatic increase in student veteran enrollment in post-secondary schools across the country. A 2012 federal executive order outlines the most recent requirements for our higher education institutions: “Institutions have an obligation to: ‘provide meaningful information to service members, veterans, spouses, and other family members about the financial cost and quality of educational institutions…and ensure that educational institutions provide high-quality academic and student support services to active-duty service members, reservists, members of the National Guard, veterans, and military families” (“From Soldier to Student II” 5). Yet, many colleges and universities still do not have a certifying official (or other student veterans coordinator) in place, training for faculty/staff on working with student veterans, student veterans groups, or other systems and structures that accommodate the needs of student veterans. Much of the limited literature that exists on advising schools with student veteran populations offers suggestions on community-based support systems that facilitate the transition from military to campus culture, yet little work has been published on best pedagogical practices for classroom instructors of student veterans. This literature
review will examine reports and studies on the value that student veterans bring to college classrooms as well as the challenges they face as non-traditional students who often struggle with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychological, emotional, and physical disabilities. I will first present recent figures on student veteran enrollment in higher education and projected numbers of combat-related injuries and disorders among these students. The review will then address the implications of these injuries on learning as well as suggested methods in accommodating student veterans with special needs. Several key pedagogical practices within writing and literature studies will also be reviewed, and the entire body of information (including inadequacies in the reviewed literature) will ultimately inform the structure and design of a veteran-specific community college writing course.
First and foremost, student veterans bring tremendous value to college classrooms. As a group of faculty at the University of South Dakota researching student veterans’ issues reports, “the experience of serving can provide ‘greater self-efficacy, enhanced identity and sense of purposefulness, pride, camaraderie, etc.’” (Kelley et al 176). Veterans who have served in the military before beginning or resuming college courses often have more life experience, a global perspective, and specific goals for pursuing their degree, which often leads to a steadfast dedication to their studies. Student veterans do face a host of challenges that many traditional college students do not, however. The team at USD projects, “almost 2 million veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will soon enroll in postsecondary education. Up to 40 percent of these veterans are estimated to have disabilities” (Kelley et al 173). Of this 40 percent of student veterans, many do not report the challenges they face, seek help, or know that they have the option to do so. Further, those who struggle with PTSD might experience “a delayed onset, and symptoms of the disorder can begin to manifest themselves after the student has transitioned into higher education” (“Forty Percent” 176). Ernetta Fox, the Director of Disability Services at the University of South Dakota, “explained how faculty needs to be aware that student veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan often have ‘signature disabilities’ that affect their cognitive abilities. Traumatic brain injury, concussive brain disorder, depression, and pain are common and may manifest as a variety of acquired learning disabilities, including dyslexia, dysnomia, audio or visual processing disorders, reading
comprehension difficulties, and short- and long-term memory issues” (Bart 1). Faculty might also witness “mood changes…anxiety, impulsiveness, emotional outbursts, or inappropriate laughter” (Kelly et al 176). PTSD can also cause “difficulty in concentrating and reading for extended periods of time” (Kelly et al 176).
In order to accommodate these special needs, the USD team suggests clearly defining goals and requirements of assignments, scaffolding longer assignments, providing a variety of platforms through which material is made available, and assessing students in multiple ways. Among the suggestions for allowing students to demonstrate knowledge through various means, the USD faculty recommends “weekly question cards, study guides, self-assessments, attendance at campus events, participation in community service projects, writing assignments, oral presentations, small-group multimedia projects, and exams” (Kelley et al 181). However, I do see a lack of discipline-specific best practices and more than general tips have yet to be published. For example, which texts have served as stimulating, engaging, and meaningful for student veterans and why? Which writing assignments allowed for deeper self-reflection or facilitation of transition from military to student life? In considering these questions, I have been mindful about the assignments that I would like to incorporate in my syllabus, including the reading and analysis of military- and non-military-related texts, and writing assignments that vary from personal narrative to persuasive to literary analysis. In an effort to implement the mindfulness and metacognition that is involved in reading and writing workshop models, I intend to be as explicit about the process of reading and writing as possible. This form of pedagogy will entail having in-depth discussions about the style, purpose, stakes, process, and audience of military vs. non-military writing and literature as well as examining these aspects and learning goals for each assignment.
Further, what much of the literature does not address is concrete and practical ways to take advantage of the global perspective and life experience that many student veterans bring to classes. Although many reports illuminate the frustration that veterans may feel with their younger, “less serious” classmates, I do feel that there can be tremendous value in the exchange of ideas and experiences within a classroom of mixed population. For example, younger, traditional students may be able to provide insights into standard academic conventions and structures that veterans may not be used to yet while veterans may provide a perspective on a piece of literature that a younger student may not be able to access due to lack of experience. I do believe that professors can maximize and leverage the range of knowledge that a diverse group of students can bring to a classroom, but this can only be accomplished within a space where safety and respect have been established as the core values of the class culture.
Lastly, what I would like to consider more carefully is accommodating physical disabilities, which few of these articles and reports touch upon. In considering the needs of students who are blind, hearing impaired, suffer short-term memory loss, or amputees, what are ways that instructors can provide equal access to information and other tools necessary to succeed in a class? In addition to allowing students to preview class notes prior to each class session, I would also like to find ways to audio record class discussions and lectures and allow students to access that information after each class. These concerns stem not only from my interest in working with student veterans as a community college professor, but also from my passion for differentiated instruction and meeting individual student needs. (Read more about my teaching philosophy and intellectual framework).