TRAINING COURSE FOR INSTRUCTORS & TRAIN THE SIMULATOR TRAINER AND ASSESSOR
COURSE CATEGORY: STCW
APPROVED BY: The Republic of Cyprus and the Republic of the Marshall Islands
DURATION: 10 days
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND BENEFITS
Training Course For Instructors & Train The Simulator Trainer And Assessor course is designed to facilitate the delivery of training in the competence standards required by the IMO Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, as amended. Its aim is to provide a useful introduction for those with limited teaching experience. It also introduces new approaches or serve as a skills and techniques reminder for more experienced teachers. It is not the aim to provide a full course of trainee instructor training. In addition, it provides a sound basis for the delivery of other training programmes.
The course includes technical aspects of teaching that have a direct relation with the maritime simulator world. Without delving into the details at this stage, simulator pedagogy, as well as psychology of learning, form an important element of the course.
The topics that the course covers are providing valuable introduction for those who have little experience in teaching. It is also a very useful refresher for experienced instructors. In addition, those whose teaching experience has been limited to lecturing will gain considerable exposure, as they will explore the world of maritime simulation along with a variety of teaching techniques.
The course deals with the relevance of simulator in maritime training and the simulator pedagogy associated with the use of training on a maritime simulator. The course touches upon the basic aspects of learning process, purpose of training, setting of training objectives and basic principles of course design and the psychology of learning. However these do not form the main thrust of the course. The instructor assumes that participants would have received formal training in these aspects prior to completing this programme.
The course involves conventional teaching and training methods. It follows participative training techniques (such as task solving, both individually and in groups) and simulation exercises involving ‘role playing’. Train the Trainer course takes into account the practical constraints which simulator instructors face. However, it is not seeking for ‘ideal’ solutions in this part of the course. Adaptation to local circumstances is an important part of the course and trainees should demonstrate it when appropriate.
The course has a large practical component. In this, participants implement the theoretical guidelines by planning, creating, executing and evaluating their own simulation exercises.
The experiential nature of the course, largely using simulators, provides the participants the opportunity to hone the necessary skills they need to be effective simulator instructors.
COURSE TOPICS
The instructor establishes a reliable simulator training programme to impart comprehensive simulator training to the seafarer that will include the amalgamation of:
– Classroom teaching
– Simulation training
– Special working environment on board a ship and the human element
– Psychology of learning
Foster sustainable training skills to the instructor within the changing maritime environment
Acquire simulator training skills that includes the psychology of learning
The instructor will control simulation exercises to sensitize the future simulator instructor to simulation technology. He will also, initially, allow the trainees to become familiar with the equipment, controls and instrumentation provided by the simulator. He will discuss about the equipment and environment fidelity with the trainees.
During exercises, trainees need to use effective bridge/engine-room/cargo procedures, and varying the environment. Trainees will also need to comply with applicable Regulations and observe the principles of various shipboard operations as set out in the relevant parts of the STCW 2010 Convention. A session for briefing and planning will precede each exercise and a debriefing will follow.
