The Answer To My Prayers - Online STCW Classes Approved By USCG

[john]

Maritime Executive Magazine where Joe Keefe gives the details behind MEBA's new Online Learning program. The exciting part: it's USCG Approved!!

Online/Distance Learning at CMES
USCG approval of our STCW Crowd Management
Online course via the CMES Learning Management System (LMS). The first
true Distance Learning System to be approved for training mariners. The
LMS is a Virtual Learning Environment, which is a suite of
functionalities that deliver, track, report on, and manage the learning
content, trainee progress, and trainee interactions with the course and
instructor. The LMS provides the instructor with the method to deliver
course content, monitor student participation, and assess performance.

USCG: technical delivery standards
conformance, privacy, uniform quality of training, and sustainability.
The LMS also satisifies industrial and government standards for
delivery methods and course content, transfer, and storage standards:
SCORM 2004 (Shared Content Object Reference Model); AICC (Aviation
Industry CBT Committee); MIS GLS (Industrial Management System Gloval
Learning Consortium); and ARIADNE (Foundation for Knowledge Pool).

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[anchorman]

Wow. That's nice.

[john]

"Wow. That's nice." ...if... they implemented it well. I'll have to sign up for a course and find out.

[Jemplayer]

Sweet, now is just the crowd management course or are there other coming online as soon as they finish the curriculum?

[jdcavo]

Right now the only on-line course at Calhoon MEBA we have approved is the crowd management course. It's the only one they have submitted to us thus far. The majority of the course can be done on-line, but we require the final exam to be given live with a proctor. At the time we first met with MEBA on this course we understood their intention was to develop more if we approved the first. I cannot sat if that is still their plan.<br><br>Distance learning won't work for all courses. Only knowledge-based courses can be given entirely on-line. For those that have a practical component (e.g. ship handling, ARPA, etc.) At least part of the course will have to be given live.<br><br>Also distance ;earning is not cheap to develop and in general, the maritime industry lacks the numbers of students needed to make the courses economically viable. So courses may be limited to either deep-pocket schools or those who can tie into the infrastructure of an existing distance learning program to host the courses.<br><br>James D. Cavo<br>Chief, Mariner Training &amp; Assessment Division<br>USCG National Maritime Center<br><A href="mailto:James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil]<font color=#3354aa>James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil</font></A>

[Jemplayer]

Well that's good that they have plans to expand the curriculum. <br><br>I would think that distance learning would be a boon for the industry. <br><br>I know that some classes you need to be there for hands on training, but for the ones that I don't need special equipment I would rather sit at my house and be able to sleep on in my own bed at night then have to travel hundreds of miles and spend thousands on hotel room, food, and gas. <br><br>If they would just advertise in the trade magazines and then align them selves with companies then I think things would take off, or I at least hope so.

[anchorman]

John,<br> What about gCaptain on-line STCW classes? "Konrad Technical Maritime Institute"

[john]

Anchorman,

Just because you can provide a cheaper, faster and more robust solution than the "big guys" does not mean it's a good idea to start.... I think you agree because otherwise you'd see an "Anchor and Lee" workboat service add on our homepage.

Jim,

Many thanks for the insight and for moving your team forward on the approval process! One question; by "live" do you mean via webcam or in person?

[anchorman]

I think Lee would have a hard time getting supplies to an oil rig in a "personal water craft".

[Capt. Lee]

Put a noonie in it!

[jdcavo]

At least for now, in person. However, it doesn't necessarily have to be in Easton. If MEBA requests, we'd let them do it at remote sites like their halls, company offices, etc. As long as they had a proctor and let us know in advance when it was to happen so we could drop in if we wanted to check up on it.<br><br>There are at least 4 "small" schools giving OUPV and lower tonnage license courses on-linew with proctored exams.<br><br>James D. Cavo<br>Chief, Mariner Training &amp; Assessment Division<br>USCG National Maritime Center<br><A href="mailto:James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil]<font color=#3354aa>James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil</font></A>