Active learning for enhanced understanding of "ship damage stability"

Abstract

Active Learning has always played an important part of seamen’s education. Transfer of experience have from ancient time been practiced in an active learner-centered field where unexperienced seamen got involved in their own learning by being supervised by experienced seamen, when practicing seaman related activities. This learning practice was supreme before the introduction of “modern” maritime educational institutions. This introduction led to development of an education field with a passive more teacher-centered learning style in addition to traditional practical active learning style, on sea. Damage Stability is one important topic of modern Ship hydrostatic and Ship Stability subjects of the ship-officer education. This topic have traditionally been lectured in a passive teacher-centered learning style, which may have limited the development of basic developmental knowledge and understanding. This paper will present a conceptual framework of an Active Experimental Learning platform for enhanced developmental knowledge and “in-depth” understanding of Ship Damage Stability. Advantages and possible disadvantages of Active Experimental Learning related to this presentation are going to be discussed. In addition to this presentation, the paper will present a lighter survey to clarify how a selected number of Maritime Education and Training schools, at bachelor level, plan their approach to this topic according to required competence by STCW.