The potential of simulation as a strategy for teaching at the andragogic niveau with special reference to maritime training

Abstract

The growing importance of the concept of learning by experience is highlighted through the credit given by American colleges for prior learning experience. However, it is not always possible to provide learners with the opportunity to gain experience where this involves equipment and tasks which are too costly in terms of time, expense, or risk of life and equipment. The accelelated development in technology has led to rapid changes in conditions and instrumentation in the cockpits of aircraft and on the bridges of ships. In maritime training, the burden of maintaining the contemporary relevance of simulation training has been born by the training institutions, who have had to face increased costs and the selection of suitable synthetic training devices (simulators) from a wide variety of equipment offered which ranges in sophistication from the relatively simple to the fully representational high.fidelity ship simulators. Decisions faced by training establishments revolve around the desirability of high. fidelity simulators, the effectiveness of less expensive part-task trainers, and whether the effectiveness of simulation justifies the financial layout and running costs of simulator equipment. These decisions would be influenced initially by the consideration of whether or not simulation is an effective teaching strategy in adult vocational training, and whether this strategy justifies the cost and effort which the application of simulation demands. It was therefore necessary to examine the potential of simulation in the light of historical success, and also the present status, utilisation and acceptance of simulation in the field of maritime training.