Page 34 - 2022 - Q3 - Minerva in Focus

How Covid-19 has affected training
MARITIME TRAINING in the shipping industry
“ from the e-learning courses of the pre-Covid
Can Virtual Reality (VR)
classrooms be the next big
step for training in our field,
or will the traditional class-
room setting remain the gold
standard in marine training,
as it is for universities?
” without location constraints. Participants
by Katerina Palla,,
Training Manager,
Global Marine Training Centre,
RINA
34 MINERVA IN FOCUS – ISSUE 21 / Q3 2022
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pan- cost of travel and accommodation. All that
demic in March 2020, many things have is required is a laptop, tablet, or smart-
changed in our everyday and profes- phone, and since the related platforms are
sional lives, and marine training has not web-based, there is no need to install other
remained unaffected by these changes applications.
either. While classroom teaching pro-
grams were suspended, distance learn- So, one may rightly wonder if virtual class-
ing programs began to thrive through rooms have replaced traditional class-
modern (virtual online live classrooms) rooms forever.
or asynchronous means (comput- In a study run by our department this
er-based e-learning). year, we asked ship management com-
panies worldwide how they prefer their
Many virtual meeting platforms and confer- shore-based and shipboard personnel
ence software have been developed in the to participate in training sessions; the
last two years that mimic the face-to-face results were not as expected. The need
interactions of a traditional classroom. The for human contact and experiencing the
virtual classroom environment ensures training activities in real time in a physical
of the survey participants responded they
classroom still plays a significant role. 50%
human connection, a vital element missing
prefer their employees to attend a course
era. In a virtual classroom, the trainer can
in a traditional classroom setting. We
interact with the participants in real time.
Discussions and interactions between all followed up by interviewing a number of
participants remain very similar to those
participants in favor of physical presence.
in a regular classroom; virtual classroom Their main comment was that nothing can
breakout rooms are available for teamwork;
ever replace the real engagement they feel
learning material can be shared, and a when the instructor stands before them.
larger number of trainees from all over the We still need to understand if this is a re-
world can participate, whereas, in the phys-
sistance to change, a battle between the
ical classroom, there are space constraints. new and the old. Can Virtual Reality (VR)
Shore-based and shipboard personnel can classrooms be the next big step for training
setting remain the gold standard in marine
in our field, or will the traditional classroom
now be trained quickly and adequately
training, as it is for universities? Only time
can take a course in the comfort of their
will tell, so let’s buckle up and see.
home or cabin on board without the added
From green ports to cutting-edge
ship designs, by your side toward
a net-zero future.
Make it sure, make it simple. rina.org