One attribute that makes an on-line maritime training implementation successful is appropriate use of media such as text, imagery, video, simulations and even gaming. In this article I am going to look at how to choose the best media for your implementation. Some of the advice may surprise you.

Can a vessel operator completely reshape its safety culture? At BC Ferries time loss injuries have been cut in half. Serious injuries have been reduced by two-thirds. Annual insurance claims costs have been reduced by over three-quarters. This is a story that every maritime CEO, safety officer and training officer needs to know.

Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) tests are one of the oldest and most widely used assessment techniques in existence. Yet they are also one of the most highly maligned. However, written carefully, and used appropriately as one component of a multidimensional assessment program, MCQs can be a real asset to maritime assessment. This third and final article in the series provides some practical tips on how to write effective and useful MCQs.

In my last article I began a discussion of the use of multiple choice questions (MCQs) in maritime assessment. In this, the second article, we look at two aspects of the use of MCQs: the importance of using them in combination with other assessment techniques, and the importance of understanding cultural and gender issues as they relate to MCQs (and other assessment techniques).

Multiple choice tests are one of the oldest assessment techniques in existence. Yet they are also one of the most highly maligned. Why, then, do they continue to be used so pervasively in maritime training? Are they effective or aren’t they? This article is the first of a two-part series that looks at Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) in maritime training.

Maybe you’ve heard the term “Big Data” before. Maybe you haven’t. It is already providing insights into all manner of human interaction - including how people learn and how we train them. Its potential is unparalleled in history. My belief is that big data could easily be the single largest driver of training improvement since learning began. So what is big data, and how does it have the potential to vastly improve maritime training?

For decades, simulation has been a part of maritime bridge and engine room training. But as with many safety initiatives, its effect is sometimes difficult to quantify. We know it has value, but it does come at a cost. Is the cost worth the value derived from simulator training? This article examines some recent research in an attempt to answer this question.

It is difficult and expensive to do vessel-specific training well - which is probably why it is under specified, and in many cases poorly implemented - often via job shadowing. But there is a technology called "adaptive learning" that every vessel operator should be aware of as an excellent tool for vessel-specific training. This article looks at what adaptive learning is, and examines one vessel operator’s deployment of it to facilitate vessel-specific training across its fleet of 35 vessels.

2012 has been a remarkable year for technology in maritime training and education. Therefore, I present in this article some of the current and emerging trends in maritime training technology for which 2012 will be remembered.

In today’s article you are going to meet the amazing engineer, mariner and maritime mentor, Lars Erik Brandt. Also, I'll provide a brief update on the international maritime mentoring community (which you are invited to visit right now and become a part of).

In this third and final article on improving training in small maritime organizations, I am going to cover a number of lessons derived from one company’s transition to training excellence. These include training plan ownership, employee involvement, visibility, and training infrastructure. These can serve as valuable guidance to any maritime organization looking to make the transition to a high quality, professional and continuously improved training organization.

In my last article I gave the example of a small organization which felt as though their training required attention and decided to do something about it. In this article, I'll list some of the excellent lessons from that experience which can help any maritime employer wishing to become a top-rate training organization.

Organizations of any size and resource availability can (and should) make great strides to improve how they train their employees. No budget is too small, and the benefits to the organization will always outweigh the cost and effort expended. This article looks at how we can improve in-house training outcomes and an organization's safety culture on a budget.

In this article we provide an answer to the question “does eLearning work” for the maritime industry. We are now able to answer this question based on approximately 15 years of experimentation, research and implementation done in other industries. According to the US Department of Education, the answer is ...

According to press reports of the leaked investigation into the Costa Concordia tragedy, poor judgement, inadequate training, and language barriers were all apparently contributing factors. Of these, communication issues are in some sense the most problematic. This article highlights one approach to bridging language and cultural barriers on board.

Teaching evaluations are a necessary and critical part of any training program for the benefit of the trainer, the trainees and the organization as a whole. Last week I wrote about teaching evaluations and discussed their background, how to deliver them, and when to deliver them. This week, I’d like to conclude the discussion on teaching evaluations by talking about what the organization (maritime college, vessel operator, etc) should do to make most effect of these evaluations.

Teaching evaluations are a necessary and critical part of any maritime training program. Yet surprisingly, not everyone does them! And even when they are done, it is often the case that they are not used to their full advantage. In this article, I'd like to discuss the (very simple and very effective) practice of performing teaching evaluations, why they are important, how they can be used, and ideas on how to deliver them for maximum effect in maritime training.

If you are one of the (dwindling number of) e-learning skeptics, this article will give you heartburn. Even so - you’ll learn something really fascinating, I’ll wager. I want to describe one of the most recent moves in e-learning. It is called “Massive Open Online Courses” or MOOCs. This is a trend that institutions such as Stanford, Harvard, M.I.T. and Princeton are taking part in, and they have implications for Maritime Training.

The maritime industry, by definition, is international. Yet mariners from all corners of the earth are required to work together, communicate and interact. They are also required to train and be trained. But what language should be used to deliver their training? This article looks at bilingual training as one possibility for MET.

According to the IMO: "Female seafarers are an under-utilized, underdeveloped but valuable resource that could provide part of the solution to the increasing problem of finding sufficient adequately trained personnel to manage and operate the world's growing and sophisticated merchant fleet." This article discusses one tool to help change that - role models and mentors.

Last week's article on whether training should be mandatory for maritime instructors generated a lot of discussion. For all the different opinions held, the one point of agreement was that training can improve the effectiveness of maritime instructors. On that theme, I'd like to share some advice I've heard over the years that I feel has been of benefit to me as an instructor.

The maritime industry’s operations and training practices are highly regulated. Yet one part of the industry which receives comparatively little regulation is the amount and type of training which maritime instructors must have before they can act as instructors. Is this a fundamental flaw? Or is the industry already over-regulated?

The term “student-centered learning” is one that many trainers likely have not heard before. Yet it is an important training concept that has been discussed for 20 or more years, and one that all maritime trainers should understand and consider. It is credited with improving trainee motivation, trainer-trainee relationships, and increasing the trainee’s own responsibility for their training. So what is student-centered learning and how is it applicable to the maritime industry?

In today’s article you are going to read a bit about the International Maritime Mentoring Site, and meet an amazing maritime mentor, Capt. Russ Garbutt. I use the word “amazing” for many reasons, not the least of which is his willingness to improve the maritime industry by volunteering to share his 48 years of maritime experience with young or prospective maritime industry workers.

Maritime education needs to be focused upon. It needs to be considered, discussed, studied, analysed, and continuously improved upon. It is for this reason that when I saw the call for papers for IMLA 20 - the 20th “IMLA International Conference on Maritime Education and Training”, I knew I needed to be there. This article highlights some of the important issues surrounding Maritime Training and Education which are being raised at this conference.

I ask you - what better way is there to pay tribute to the 1.5 million seafarers around the world then to improve their lot in the industry through improved support and training? This article completes the series on peer-learning by discussing some of the benefits that accrue to trainees, trainers and training organizations in the maritime industry.

Peer learning makes trainees an active part of the learning process as opposed to simply “vessels to be filled with knowledge”. It encourages reflective thought and engagement. And because these benefits to trainees are derived from their peers, it can actually reduce the workload on you, their trainer. This article continues the discussion on peer learning by providing some concrete advice on how to engage in peer learning in the maritime community.

One of the most powerful forms of informal learning is peer learning - in other words, trainees learning from trainees. Yet although both research and experience tell us of the power of peer learning, most training organizations do almost nothing to support it. This article looks at peer learning as a supplement to traditional instruction, and discusses how we can take advantage of it to improve learning outcomes, trainee experiences and trainee engagement.

The maritime mentoring initiative will either be an amazing and valuable resource to the entire industry, or it will quietly fade away. The difference will be determined primarily by how well we get the word out. Please help spread the word (oh yes - and do join as well!)

As trainers, we are all aware of the relationship between trainee motivation and training outcomes. But not all types of motivation create an equal incentive to learn, and most training programs dedicate very little effort to building and reinforcing motivation in their trainees. This article looks at motivation in maritime training, and provides simple suggestions on how to help motivate trainees.