Shiphandling in the Virtual Classroom : The Use of a Classroom Management System for Debrief and Competency Assessment

With the advent of IMO model courses and implementation of STCW competency assessment, the Shiphandling/Seamanship course offered to midshipmen at the United States Merchant Marine Academy was redesigned to employ practical demonstration, performance evaluation, and competency assessment. Part-task and full mission simulators are used to facilitate the understanding of ship maneuvering concepts. This poster will demonstrate the use of Blackboard, a web-based course management system, as an integral part of mariner competency assessment and effective record keeping for audit purposes. It will also demonstrate that small group collaborative learning activities lead to increased student engagement. The poster will confer the relevance of the use of simulators as an essential element of experiential learning and reinforce the importance of the facilitation of practical shiphandling skills in the virtual classroom.