Murray Goldberg News

The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) has implemented SkillGrader for simulation assessment in the Naval Officer Training Centre’s Navigation and Bridge Simulator (NABS) environment.Developed by Marine Learning Systems (MLS), SkillGrader will gather, store and report training metrics from student assessments. The project supports the RCN’s efforts to continuously enhance the quality of professional development of their Naval Warfare Officers.SkillGrader is a first of its kind tablet-based…

Software holding company Bleecker Street Group (BSG) announced the acquisition of Marine Learning Systems, an eLearning technology and services provider.Marine Learning Systems is a trailblazer in introducing eLearning methodologies to the maritime sector, providing solutions to enhance learning outcomes and increase safety for maritime customers including the largest cruise, ferry and workboat operators.As part of the Bleecker Street Group, Marine Learning Systems will join a growing portfolio of maritime software businesses.

BC Ferries is trialing Marine Learning Systems' SkillGrader mariner skills assessment application as part of ongoing efforts to advance passenger and crew safety. Developed by Vancouver software company Marine Learning Systems, SkillGrader is an enterprise solution that helps vessel operators quickly and objectively assess the skills of officers and crew, both in teams and individually. It replaces subjective and cumbersome paper-based assessments with a digital solution that runs on both tablets and mobile devices.

Expedition cruising company Lindblad Expeditions will deploy Marine Learning Systems’ online training platform, MarineLMS, fleetwide, following a successful pilot period. According to Marine Learning Systems, online training at sea has always been a challenge for operators due to the unique and challenging maritime operating and training context, especially in the remote locations where Lindblad Expeditions often operates. The Vancouver, B.C. based company has developed its training…

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.

Canadian shipping company Algoma Central Corporation has implemented Marine Learning Systems’ training platform to support employee development and Algoma’s Environmental Compliance Plan. The training management solution allows for on-demand reporting and anytime, anywhere training for safer operations.Algoma’s new system allows employees to access online training on board their vessels, even when internet connectivity is intermittent. This allows both shoreside and on-vessel employees to receive the same training experience, regardless of their location. In addition, the training solution delivers company-specific, on-the-job training for multiple roles and responsibilities.

Maritime training and assessment software solutions provider Marine Learning Systems (MLS) said it has been awarded a contract by the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) to implement a simulation assessment metrics solution.MLS will configure its enterprise application, SkillGrader, to gather, store and report training metrics from student assessments on the RCN’s Navigation and Bridge Simulator. The project will support the RCN’s efforts to enhance the quality of professional development…

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.

When James C. DeSimone, Deputy Commissioner, Ferry Division, New York City Department of Transportation, signed on to run the Staten Island Ferries in 2003, the organization was still in the aftermath of one of the most significant accidents in its history: the ferry Andrew J. Barberi allision of October 2003, an accident which included a number of fatalities and serious injuries. DeSimone, who had long-tenures in both the commercial and public end of the marine business, brought a unique perspective to the organization.“For the city to go outside the system to hire (me) was huge…

– 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.

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…

Carnival Corporation partnered with Marine Learning Systems to develop an App for mariner skills assessment.Dubbed SkillGrader, the App was designed to help standardize Carnival Corporation’s training and assessment across the company’s fleet of 105 ships and 9 brands. Prior to its development, there were numerous different approaches to training, with hundreds of programs, and a variety of fleet trainers and external training providers.“We wanted to align and standardize our approach.” says John Allen, Carnival Corporation’s Director of Maritime Professional Development.

As survey responses continue to role in, the deadline for the 2019 Maritime Insights Database (MarTID) annual survey of maritime training practices has been extended to February 28, 2019. Ship owners, Maritime Training institutions and mariners all have a stake in participation, as Murray Goldberg explains.Take the SurveyFor operators: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2019MarTIDOperatorFor training institutions: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2019MarTIDMETIFor seafarers: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2019MarTIDSeafarerThe…

By Michael Manuel, Associate Professor, Head - Maritime, Education and Training (World Maritime University);Murray Goldberg, President and CEO (Marine Learning Systems); and Greg Trauthwein, Editor & Associate Publisher (New Wave Media)The second annual global Maritime Training Insights Database survey examines the impact of the autonomy trend in maritime operations on the training of future “seafarers”The Maritime Training Insights Database (MarTID) steering group is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of the 2019 MarTID survey…

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.

In a coming edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News, we explore modern training and “blended learning” techniques with Murray Goldberg, CEO of Marine Learning Systems, maker of MarineLMS. A researcher and developer of learning management systems, Goldberg’s software has been used by millions of people and companies worldwide. Here Goldberg explains the scope and important of a historic new annual survey, The Maritime Training and Insights Database (MarTID) (www.martid.org/survey).

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.

It’s a major understatement to say that Subchapter M is top of mind for workboat operators. While most would agree that the new regulations will raise the level of safety and operational sophistication, most would also likely agree that with change comes uncertainty, cost and effort. Thus it was no surprise that at October’s national meeting of the American Waterways Operators, discussions were dominated by Subchapter M and its implications for operators. As a former faculty member at a large research university and someone very focused on training in the maritime industry…

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.

The MoU establishes a partnership between the three organizations to conduct recurring global surveys on seafarer training practices in industry and sets out the guiding principles and terms by which WMU, Marine Learning Systems and New Wave Media will conduct these surveys as well as publicize the findings. Speaking at the signing, WMU President, Dr. Doumbia-Henry noted that for many decades there has been a dearth of information regarding how the industry actually manages, delivers and assesses training within and beyond the framework of the requirements of the STCW Convention, as amended.

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.

Interferry has unveiled a strategic plan promising to put safety issues at the heart of its work as the voice of the worldwide ferry industry. The pledge came at the global trade association’s 41st annual conference in Manila – a venue chosen to spotlight the challenges of domestic ferry safety in developing nations. According to Interferry, the plan signals its overriding ambition to help lift ferry safety in all parts of the world to the very high standard already in place in North America and Europe, where casualties in recent decades have been extremely rare.