Composition Forum 35 - Learning Shock and Student Veterans: Bridging the Learning Environments of the Military and the Academy

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by jay

The article examines how student veterans learn in the military and why their classroom transfer can be difficult. It frames armed forces learning as a community of practice shaped by applied andragogical principles, then contrasts it with college learning environments to identify overlap and disconnect. Drawing on ethical debates in writing instruction, it argues that “learning shock” reflects a mismatch rather than lack of ability, and proposes metacognitive support and curricular connection to improve success.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Composition Forum 35, Spring 2017

“Learning Shock” and Student Veterans: Bridging the Learning Environments of the Military and the Academy

Abstract

Brief Description of Methodology

Current Issue From the Editors Weblog Editorial Board Editorial Policy Submissions Archives Accessibility Search Composition Forum 35, Spring 2017 “Learning Shock” and Student Veterans: Bridging the Learning Environments of the Military and the Academy Mark Blaauw-Hara Abstract: In this article, I provide an overview of student veterans’ experiences learning in the military, from the ways the armed forces operate as a community of practice to how they build the competence of their servicemembers through application of andragogical principles. I then contrast the learning environment of the military to that of college, highlighting areas of overlap and disconnect. Finally, I provide suggestions for how we in the academy—and specifically those of us involved with writing studies—can help student veterans connect the two learning environments and, hopefully, increase their chances of success at college. A number of scholars have argued that we have an ethical obligation to examine how our practices in writing instruction might help or hinder student veterans (Hart and Thompson; Valentino) . These arguments have resulted insignificant interest in student veterans’ experiences in writing and learning, as is demonstrated by special issues in a number of journals (including Composition Forum) and the excellent new edited collection, Generation Vet: Composition, Student-Veterans, and the Post-9/11 University (Doe and Langstraat) . A key finding in this growing body of research is that student veterans have had a richer experience writing in the military than many faculty assume (Hadlock; Hadlock and Doe; Hinton,“Front and Center,”“The Military”; Mallory and Downs) . However, their ability to fluidly transfer their writing skills to the classroom is complicated by the fact that the writing they did in the military was bound up in the larger practices and learning environment of the armed forces. They know, for example, how to write an effective evaluation of a subordinate, but they may have trouble abstracting the skills of clarity, directness, and evidence and applying them to academic writing because the military and academic environments are so different. In essence, student veterans can experience disruption as they transition from one learning environment to another that is similar to culture shock. In a conversation about this transition, Louise Wetherbee Phelps termed this “learning shock,” a phrase I think encapsulates the disorientation student veterans sometimes experience as they enter college. As with culture shock, learning shock implies a past experience that is disconnected from the present and, at times, at cross-purposes with it. Frequently, higher education seems to treat student veterans as though they come from a vacuum as far as learning is concerned—as though the time they spent between high school and college was a caesura during which learning did not happen. This viewpoint is incorrect. Success in the military is predicated on an aptitude for learning, and, moreover, by the ability to internalize and apply knowledge in diverse, often high-stress situations. However, the learning environment and the theoretical underpinnings of the military do not mesh exactly with those in academia. When student veterans transition poorly from one learning environment to the other, their difficulties should be viewed not in terms of lack, but of disconnect: they do not lack ability or experience learning new skills and information, but the way they are accustomed to doing so may not immediately connect with how they are asked to do it in college. To improve this transition, the first step is for us to understand and value the learning environments from which they come. Such an understanding may lead us to re-examine some of our curricular choices in writing classes in terms of how well they connect to the learning environments with which our student veterans are more familiar. Additionally, we can help st

FAQs

What does the article mean by “learning shock” for student veterans?

“Learning shock” describes the disorientation that can happen when student veterans enter college because their prior learning experience does not align with how learning is expected in academia.

How does the military function as a learning environment in the article?

The military is presented as a community of practice where learning is built through application of knowledge in diverse, often high-stress situations, including writing practices tied to military culture.

What steps does the article suggest to improve the transition to college?

It recommends that educators understand and value students’ prior learning environments, re-examine curricular connections in writing classes, and help student veterans build metacognitive understanding to transfer their skills effectively.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by jay