A Pedagogic Strategy for Instructors of PostSecondary Sector Students Returning to Learn from Concussion

Oct 15, 2026

Concussion is a functional brain injury that may produce physical, cognitive, emotional, and sleep-related symptoms, which can linger and affect learning outcomes even when recovery is gradual. Return-to-learn protocols recommend symptom-governed, progressive increases in cognitive activity before full-time attendance. In post-secondary settings, instructors often must adapt existing course requirements, using literal, interpretive, and applied modifications, to support return to class while minimizing the risk of provoking or worsening post-concussion symptoms.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Background on Concussion and Learning Challenges

Return-to-Learn Protocols in Post-Secondary Education

Instructor Responsibilities and Accommodation Practices

Symptom Timing, Detection Limits, and Recovery Factors

Proposed Progressive Approach to Increasing Cognitive Load

A Pedagogic Strategy for Instructors of PostSecondary Sector Students Returning to Learn from Concussion Gail Frost, Maureen Connolly Brock University Concussion is a functional brain injury that can produce physical, cognitive, emotional and sleep-related symptoms. Return to learn protocols designed to help students recoveringfrom concussion recommend a gradual, symptom-governed, increase in cognitive activity before a return to full-time school attendance andparticipation. Return to learn in a post-secondary setting often means that instructors are tasked with accommodatingfor these students, some of whom are back in the classroom even though they are still experiencing symptoms. This paper presents a progressive, ramping approach to increasing cognitive load by using literal, interpretive and applied adaptations to already existing course requirements, with the goal of minimizing the risk of provoking or worsening post-concussion symptoms. Les commotions cérébrales sont des lésions fonctionnelles au cerveau qui peuvent provoquer des symptômes physiques, cognitifs et émotionnels ainsi que des troubles du sommeil. Selon le protocole de reprise des études conçupour aider les étudiants qui se remettent d’une commotion, on recommande une augmentation graduellede l’activité cognitive, en fonction des symptômes, avant d’effectuer un retour aux études à temps plein. Dans les établissements postsecondaires, on demande souvent aux instructeurs de mettre en place des mesures d’adaptation pour ces étudiants qui, dans certains cas, éprouvent encore des symptômes lorsqu’ils retournent en classe. Cet article présente une approche progressive visant à augmenter petit à petit la charge cognitive au moyen d’aménagements – d’ordre littéral, interprétatif et appliqué – apportés aux exigences de cours existantes, de manière à minimiser le risque de déclencher ou d’aggraver le syndrome post-commotion cérébrale. Concussion is a functional brain injury caused by an impact force that can produce physical, cognitive, emotional and sleeprelated symptoms. While many concussions resolve within four weeks if managed correctly, some individuals are left with lingering symptoms that may have measurable effects on academic performance, including decreased learning and memory, decreased attention, and slowed processing speed and reaction time (Henry, Elbin, Collins, Marchetti, & Kontos, 2016; Keightley et al., 2014; Sady, Vaughn, & Gioia, 2011) . We are seeing more students in our classes who have been diagnosed with this injury, thanks in part to better concussion education programs and recognition tools. These students are not just athletes, as falls and motor vehicle accidents also account for many concussions (CDC, 2019) . Some are not ready to take up their pre-injury academic load but are afraid of falling behind if they do not return to class as soon as possible, with or without a doctor’s clearance. A graduated return-to-learn strategy has been devised to promote a successful return to the classroom for elementary and highschool students (McCrory et al., 2017) . However, it is difficult to implement in a post-secondary setting, as it requires extensive parental and school involvement and coordination. While some help maybe available to post-secondary students through campus wellness centres, more often it is the individual course instructor who is given the responsibility of helping the student with concussion symptoms that may resolve in a relatively brief time period. The expectation is that they will make accommodations for the student by adjusting course content and assessments to account for the symptoms that make academic tasks difficult. In Ontario, accommodations for learning are legally mandated unless they present ‘undue hardship’(Ontario Human Rights Commission, 2019) . At our university, information given to instructors of students who have sustained a concussion encourages strategies like providing the student with class

FAQs

Why can concussion symptoms affect academic performance after return to class?

Symptoms may persist and influence learning-related functions such as attention, memory, processing speed, and reaction time, making academic tasks difficult.

What makes implementing return-to-learn plans harder in post-secondary settings?

Post-secondary return-to-learn often requires extensive coordination, and while campus supports may exist, course instructors frequently carry most of the responsibility for accommodations.

How does the paper propose increasing students’ cognitive load safely?

It presents a progressive, ramping approach that uses literal, interpretive, and applied adaptations to existing course requirements to minimize the risk of worsening post-concussion symptoms.

Oct 15, 2026

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