Editorial (29)
The STCW Code requires that all seafarers should be properly qualified for the position that they hold onboard.. And, instructors, supervisors and assessors are required to be 'appropriately qualified.'…
Of equal importance, is the need for maritime college lecturers to be properly qualified to teach those competencies for which they are employed to teach, and to have an up to date appreciation of modern day ship operations and of the new technology aboard ships.
Alert! Issue No. 20, April 2009
It takes a special sort of person to be an instructor in the world of maritime education and training. STCW requires that he/she has to be ‘appropriately qualified’, have an ‘appropriate level of knowledge and understanding’ and have received ‘appropriate training in instructional techniques, and training and assessment methods’.
But, the knowledge, skills and attributes required of maritime educators and trainers are many and varied, as can be seen from the centrespread feature of this issue of Alert!
Maritime educators and trainers need to be aware of the human element issues that can affect the design, management and operation of ships. They need to be aware of how humans interact with other humans, machines and systems; and they need to be aware of how social conditions can affect the wellbeing of crews.
Maritime educators and trainers must have an understanding of ‘the ways of the sea’, preferably through seagoing experience at a senior level, thereby providing them with a generous foundation of knowledge that they can impart to their students. They must be up to date with modern day ship operations and with new technologies. And, they need to be able to communicate that knowledge in a manner that can be understood by all their students.
But, it is not just about imparting knowledge. Maritime educators and trainers must be good Teachers, in the true sense. They must be capable of engaging with their students; they must possess good leadership and motivation skills; they must demonstrate solid presentation and classroom management skills; and they must seek feedback from their students so as to build confidence and promote credibility.
It really does take a special sort of person to be an instructor in the world of maritime education and training.