Learning Management System News

Maritime e-learning specialists Intelligent Seas Group (ISG) and Marine Learning Systems (MLS) announced they are teaming up to deliver flexible, digital learning solutions to the on- and offshore maritime industries.The formal collaboration marries ISG’s eLearning content library with MLS’ maritime-specific learning platform, which includes a highly configurable learning management system (LMS) and live skills assessment tool.Leveraging up-to-date software packages and techniques…

OneLearn Global (OLG), the Cyprus-based full services learning technology, content and services provider, has enhanced and expanded its catalogue of seafarer training material, under a collaboration agreement signed with global insurer the UK P&I Club.Under the terms of the agreement, OLG will host 50 video and webinar courses developed by the UK P&I Club, on its Learning Management System (LMS), including a series of short (5-minute max) animations on such topics as vessel collisions…

Maritime medical and public health specialist Vikand Solutions has launched an online infection control officer training course for the cruise and commercial shipping industries.The course equips crew from differing environments with an opportunity to learn more about infectious disease epidemiology and its application within the maritime sector.Taking approximately 30 hours to complete and consisting of nine modules with a final exam, the online course combines the theories and…

The shipping industry is facing a significant competence and capacity gap in the years to come with more advanced instrumentation, ships becoming more complex to operate, new regulations and requirements to fuel-types and sustainable operations. We also see that due to the pandemic there are challenges for seafarers traveling to training centers to keep their certificates current and many experienced seafarers are changing profession. The need for retraining and advanced training of crew in all vessel segments is therefore becoming increasingly important…

Marine Learning Systems (MLS) has renewed an existing contract with the Canadian Coast Guard to supply a maritime learning management system. Named SeaReady, the learning management system supports the Western Region of the Canadian Coast Guard by providing online training and assessment to operational and technical personnel.Following a fair and transparent process through Public Services and Procurement Canada, Marine Learning Systems was initially awarded the contract due to their ability to deliver learning and assessment tools to remote locations without reliance on internet connectivity.

Kongsberg Digital (KDI) announced it has signed partner agreement with the Northeast Maritime Institute (NMI) based in Massachusetts USA. This is the first partner agreement signed with a maritime eLearning provider and includes the delivery of a range of K-Sim cloud-based simulation applications for NMI global online students.NMI's dynamic learning management system delivers a wide range of courses online, reaching mariners across the globe. The online maritime education, training, examination and certification portal is known as Northeast Maritime Online (NEMO°).

Very few people live day-to-day expecting a disaster. However, disasters do happen and a critical component of business continuity is ensuring that when disaster strikes, our critical systems are returned to normal operations as quickly and efficiently as possible. Last month’s training tips for ships discussed a catastrophic fire that occurred in France last month at one of the world’s largest data centres. This fire took millions of websites offline including the Learning Management System (LMS) for one of the world’s largest cruise lines.

The Liberian Registry has unveiled two new online platforms that aim to give seafarers easier access to apply for documents and credentials, and for taking Liberian license and upgrade examinations. The first platform is designed to allow seafarers to directly apply online for their seafarer documents necessary for sailing aboard Liberian flagged vessels at https://seafarers.liscr.com/. Further, the Liberian Registry completely overhauled and modernized its license examination…

Marine Learning Systems introduces SkillGrader, a mobile application designed to enable vessel operators and training institutions to objectively evaluate officer and crew skills, and to generate instant reports on workforce insights.“SkillGrader completes the learning technologies picture," said Murray Goldberg, founder and CEO of Marine Learning Systems. "For some time now, we have had tools to help teach and assess knowledge – the Learning Management System, and tools to help teach skills – simulation, AR and VR.

Marine Learning Systems has unveiled SkillGrader, an enterprise solution that enables vessel operators and training institutions to objectively evaluate officer and crew skills, and generate instant reports on workforce insights.SkillGrader is a mobile application that supports simple and objective evaluation of mariner performance, assessing any observable skill, such as routine drills, simulation training, assessment of qualification or on-the-job performance. SkillGrader replaces paper-based assessments with a digital solution that runs on both tablets and mobile devices.

On September 30, JRC/Alphatron Marine will roll out its online learning management system, allowing distributors to follow training courses from anywhere in the world. Instead of traveling to a JRC/Alphatron Marine Center of Excellence or other training locations, users can now log in via the Global Training Academy (GTA)-portal on your mobile, tablet, or computer to ensure skills are up-to-date.JRC/Alphatron Marine said the starting point in the development of the Online Training…

COVID-19 is requiring all operators to reconsider how they train. In-person traditional training is essentially prohibited by this pandemic. So how do operators adapt quickly to maintain compliance and train for safe operations, yet do so in a COVID-safe way? Fortunately, it can be done, and it is not difficult. Furthermore, by taking the steps necessary to deliver training during the pandemic, you will be putting in place systems, tools and content to improve both the outcomes and cost-efficiency of your future training…

Lance Camarena recognized from a young age that he wanted to work in the learning and development arena. But his plans changed while studying in college to become a public school music teacher and a job working a swing shift at Intel led to a new path of study and a career in the IT world.Still, after graduating and securing full-time employment with another IT firm, he knew training was still his calling. “I managed to switch roles and became one of the first people in the U.S. to start training this new software package that was just hitting the market called Microsoft Word.

We must assess our trainees. Yet we have all heard the complaints they raise about assessments: “I am a bad test-writer”, “this test was much more difficult than I expected”, “I know the material but I did not understand the questions”, “I was nervous, and my mind went blank”, etc. These are not the occasional concerns of weak or lazy trainees – they are the norm. And we must listen because our trainees are telling us that we cannot rely on our assessment results as an accurate reflection of what they know.

– The Simple Secret to Making Randomized Exams Fair  – In last month’s Training Tips for Ships, we made the important point that we must never give different people the same exam. If we use an exam over and over, our trainees will very quickly learn what questions are on the exam and share the answers with their friends. Suddenly exam scores begin going up, and time spent learning goes down – both for the wrong reasons. There are few better ways to destroy a training program.The remedy is to always provide different exams.

We’ve all heard the stories, and many of us have seen it first-hand: the completely ineffective assessment practice of giving the same multiple-choice exam to people over and over. The only time this is ever acceptable is when all of the people writing the exam are doing so at the same time and are supervised to ensure they are not sharing answers. However, giving the same exam to different people over a period of months or years ensures that exam grades are going to go up over time – sometimes quite markedly. Sadly, this is not because people are learning more.

Tip #1. Immediate exam retakes should never be allowed.It is very common practice, especially in eLearning environments, to allow trainees to immediately retake an exam they just failed. Worse, sometimes training is set up to allow the trainee to take the exam repeatedly until they pass.Never do this. It will ensure that your learners are not learning what you want them to learn.For most people, this raises two immediate questions. First, why not allow immediate retakes? And second…

Never easy, but always a critically important task. It is critically important that we assess the ability of our mariners to perform the skills required to safely and efficiently do their jobs. It happens to also be very difficult to do so objectively and at the level of detail necessary to ensure safe operations and continuous improvement. This is especially true in dynamic, team-based scenarios such as drills and complicated safety-critical activities. This article covers a novel initiative by one of the world’s largest cruise lines and its partners to provide a solution to this problem.

Continuous Improvement (CI) is the critical process of continually analyzing the performance of some aspect of operations, and then applying changes intended to improve that performance. This is the second in a series of articles intended to introduce practical tips for using CI to improve training effectiveness and efficiency in maritime organizations. Implementing a modest CI process for your in-house training is neither expensive nor difficult, and even a small program can produce a tremendous ROI in safety, efficiency, trainer engagement and trainee satisfaction.

Continuous Improvement (CI) is the process of continually analyzing the performance of some aspect of operations, and then applying changes intended to improve that performance. It is a critical component in maintaining the health of any operation and can be applied to almost any activity. This is the third and final installment in a series of articles intended to introduce CI, and to give some practical tips for using CI in any maritime organization to improve training effectiveness and efficiency.

Everyone responsible for safety or training in their organization is aware that everything is changing in the maritime world. The worker demographic has shifted; regulatory demand is rising; and compliance is more complex. Accidents are more public and the consequences more severe. Ignoring this changing operational context means we are creating risk for tomorrow – a risk that increases every day until finally something gives. It has become increasingly difficult and risky to operate in today’s environment using yesterday’s tools and processes.

Everyone responsible for safety or training in their organization is very aware that everything is changing in the maritime world. The worker demographic has shifted. Regulatory demand is rising and compliance is more complex. Fortunately, it is also the case that maritime safety and training has entered a renaissance period. New tools are available that improve training outcomes and allow organizations to assess the state of training and compliance with a level of insight not previously possible.

As I write this article I am flying back to my home base in Canada from the 42nd annual Interferry conference in Split, Croatia. Interferry is an outstanding conference full of dedicated and passionate ferry operators and those who serve the industry. One presentation was delivered by Captain John Wright, a Master Mariner who has spent his career in the maritime industry in a variety of roles including vessel master, marine superintendent, chief executive and general manager. All of his roles have had a focus on safety and cultural change.