Barry Kroll specializes in the field of composition and rhetoric. Within that broad field, his recent work has been on argument theory, with a focus on arguments that involve heated disputes or disagreements, where two parties are locked in conflict. His work has explored some ways in which writers can participate in disputes without falling into familiar patterns of adversarial argument, patterns that seem likely to perpetuate conflict. In addition to teaching courses in argument, expository writing, and creative nonfiction, Kroll teaches a range of literature courses. For example, he has taught several courses on the representation of war in literature and film, with a focus on America's wars in Asia-the war against Japan, the Korean War, and especially the war in Vietnam.