The Usage of Multipurpose Tasks in Maritime Simulation

<< Background >>82.84% of world trade is carried out by sea and the need for qualified labour force in the field of ship machinery is increasing day by day. Practical training is critical for students studying in the field of ship machinery and maintenance, but these trainings cannot always be carried out effectively due to high costs and safety risks. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the necessity of digitalisation in vocational education, but the lack of practical courses in the distance education process has emerged as an important problem.This project aims to develop an innovative digital simulation for ship engine education, to provide students with a realistic workshop experience and to create an interactive platform that supports the learning process. By supporting digital transformation in vocational education, the project contributes to a repeatable, safe and cost-effective education process that is suitable for students' individual learning speed.<< Objectives >>With this project, we aimed to digitise vocational education in the field of ship engine and enable students to overcome the limitations they face in practical training. By developing an interactive simulation-based training platform, we aimed to enable students to practice preventive maintenance, fault detection and ship machinery management.In addition, we aimed to improve the quality of vocational education and to develop digital content suitable for hybrid and distance education models, thus making ship machinery education more accessible, repeatable and cost-effective. The open-source education platform created within the scope of the project will not only be limited to the project partners, but will also contribute to international vocational education communities and help to close the qualified labour force gap in the maritime sector.<< Implementation >>Within the scope of our project, various activities were carried out to support digital transformation in ship engine education. First of all, needs analyses were conducted through surveys and meetings with teachers, students and industry representatives, and deficiencies in education were identified. Accordingly, a simulation was developed and an interactive virtual laboratory environment was created where students can learn technical subjects such as preventive maintenance and fault detection in practice. At the same time, an open source-based learning management system was integrated into the simulation and training modules were designed for use.Pilot applications were carried out to test the project outputs and the system was improved according to the feedback received. In the final phase, training seminars and workshops were organised for project partners and dissemination activities were carried out through meetings with national participants and sector representatives. Thus, an innovative educational environment that improves the quality of vocational education and supports applied learning has been created.<< Results >>Within the scope of the project, an innovative training platform supporting interactive and digital learning processes for ship engine training has been developed. One of the most important tangible outputs was the training simulation on preventive maintenance and fault detection. This simulation enabled students to reinforce their theoretical knowledge with practical experience and increased the use of digital tools in vocational training.As another output, 21 different training scenarios were prepared to be used from the simulation.In addition, a learning management system supporting the simulation was created and the integration of simulation scenarios and training scenarios was ensured. As a result of pilot applications, the system was tested and technical improvements were made with the feedback received. In addition, trainings were organised for teachers and students and project outputs were disseminated through national meetings and webinars. Thus, a sustainable education model supporting digital vocational education has been put forward.