Citation

Cate CA, Albright G. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks 2015; 19(1).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Veterans and military service members enter the classroom with valuable life and leadership experience; however, transitioning to student life represents unique challenges. Like the larger veteran population, student veterans may bring to campus the negative aftereffects of their combat experiences in the form of post-traumatic stress, substance abuse, depression, and thoughts of suicide. To better support and retain the nation's 950,000 student veterans, higher-education institutions are beginning to train faculty and staff to more effectively understand and meet the needs of student-veteran populations. This study examines the impact of a new and innovative game-based virtual training simulation where users role-play with emotionally responsive virtual student veterans to understand the unique value veterans bring to campus, the obstacles they face in their pursuit of a college degree, effective tactics for managing challenging conversations, and the best practices for connecting student veterans exhibiting signs of psychological distress with appropriate support services. Longitudinal data showed significant (p <.01) and sustained increases in learners' military cultural competency (which included knowledge about the common challenges facing the student veterans), and preparedness to manage classroom discussions around veteran-sensitive issues, to talk with student veterans about their military service, and if necessary to make a referral to the appropriate campus office. Data also showed significant (p <.01) and sustained increases in gatekeeper skills, which included the learners' preparedness, likelihood, and self-efficacy to help a student veteran in psychological distress, which resulted in increased referrals to support services. © 2015 Sloan Consortium. All rights reserved.

Language: en