Communicating at Sea: Flexible Learning for Maritime Education

Abstract

A framework for communicating at sea was developed following the concepts of the Anchored Instruction Learning Model and the communication interaction in an alternative mode of education. The model with planned real-life problems is a way to develop among students their ability to design real-life solutions. A flexible model for seafarers was seen as a potential model for learning while seafarers are deployed at sea which could be done online, or through offline/face-to-face if they are inland. In the developed framework, an equal emphasis was given to interactions between students and students, students and teachers, and students and content. The developed model is an answer to the demand for seafarers for career development through higher education in the Philippines and abroad. Faculty- and students-respondents were those potential communicators in the flexible type of education, and they were determined as to their communication practices in a traditional classroom setting and with the utilization of Information Communication Technologies. The results show how adept the respondents are when it comes to communication and the use of ICT which can enhance the learning activities of students and effectively deliver quality education despite the challenges of communicating at sea. Seafarers and shipping companies are not to be limited with opportunities of enhancing their skills because of the nature of their work.