eCOLREGs

Avoiding Collisions aT Sea Course
flagUniversity of Rijeka

  • 01 - Education

2. Innovative teaching and learning
  • Innovative online and blended learning methods, engaging and participative hybrid learning organization
  • Innovative physical classroom activities

The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972 (COLREGs) are a set of rules to be followed by navigation officers to avoid collisions at sea. It is one of the most important International Conventions that all seagoing Officers must understand and be able to apply to real world situations. However, case law, as stated in the MARS and MAIB reports, indicates that many of the principles of the COLREGs are improperly understood and applied. That fore, COLREGs e-learning module course has been developed as an innovative online e-learning and e-assessment platform by adapting the pedagogical framework of proven and appropriate methods and methodologies. Also, one of the objectives was to identify the interactive pedagogical framework, applying multimedia learning techniques in the development and delivery of training courses. Scenario design and creation of course has undertaken a series of activities to improve training provisions for COLREGs. These activities are: analysis of comprehensive needs, study of recent COLREGs accidents, incidents and analysis of survey questionnaires and series of workshops. Course creation consisted of the work in creating a comprehensive database of a number of collision and near miss reports. These summarized reports were converted into animated scenarios by developing a range of real life situations using simulations of a bird’s eye view, bridge view, radar and ECDIS view. That helps students to acquire the perception of situation and purpose of the Rules. Scenarios can be used by students at home and maritime professional at sea or at the classes by professors. The course has more than 283 scenarios divided by the rules and annexes. The navigational lights are shown in 3D, so the user can observe them from all directions. That helps the students with the perception of the navigational lights and better understanding the angles of visibility. The course is available at 6 different languages. In 2018 eCOLREGs Course has been fully introduced to students of Faculty of Maritime Studies Rijeka and is still used today. In three academic years, 150 students undergo the oral examination of COLREGs. Comparing last year results of final exam in COLREGs with former year’s result of final exam the statistics show increase of 23% of students with the best final score and the number of students with minimum knowledge is reduced for 25%. This is evidence that course helps students in learning and understanding COLREGs.

Methodology
Tools, equipment, technology used
Outcomes and outputs, main results
Lessons learnt
Adaptability and sustainability of the best practice (for other institutions)
Promotion of best practice
Scope and impact
  • Faculty level
  • National level
  • EU/EHEA/International level

6.1 Digitalization
  • Outstanding, innovative, excellent practices of online / blended / hybrid learning

Reasoning: Every part of lesion is explained trough scenarios and every scenario explains each paragraph of COLREGs Rules. Scenarios are designed and explained as a real situation at sea. That situation is described textual, graphical with the image of situation and using videos which are recorded on Transas NTPRO 5000 navigational simulator. Those videos are bridge view, radar view, birds eye view and ECDIS view. 3D visualization of navigation lights enable innovative teaching of navigational lights.


6.2 Internationalization
  • Outstanding practices of international online collaborative learning
  • Courses offered to international multicultural students both online and offline
  • International projects/research results embedded into course development and T&L

Reasoning: The online course is available at several languages as English, Croatian , Slovenian, Spanish, Turkish and Bulgarian. The online course statistics suggest that user all over the World use it, mostly from Philippines, UK, Turkey, India, US, Australia, Singapore, Ukraine,... Frequent contacts and inquiries from other MET institutions and shipping companies about the possibility of using eCOLREGs Course are proof of the internationalization of the project not only in Europe but all over the World.


6.3 Inclusion and diversity, universal design
  • Inclusive course design, universally designed divers activities to meet special students' needs
  • Universally designed teaching material - adjustable for special needs
  • Innovative teaching methodology for inclusion and meet diverse student needs

Reasoning: The configuration of the eCOLREGs Course is adapted to the learning methods that are in trend among the younger generations. Due to the possibility of adapting to the ways of use, eCOLREGs Course is user friendly for both students and teachers. A great advantage of eCOLREGs Course is the ability to learn from any computer that has Internet access, and the amount of material for learning COLREGs is even more extensive and provides more knowledge than when using navigation simulators.


6.4 Sustainability
  • Teaching material contains profession related sustainability aspects

Reasoning: The sustainability of eCOLREGs Course stems from the purpose of the Course, which is a learning material needed by all who meet COLREGs for the first time and active seafarers and skippers who want to maintain or deepen their knowledge and skills about COLREGs. Many years of experience in using the eCOLREGs Course and statistics on the attendance of the Course on the Internet, which is growing in number from year to year, is proof that the sustainability of the eCOLREGs Course is guaranteed.

3.3 Public contact datas
Name Email address Website
Djani Mohovic dani.mohovic@pfri.uniri.hr https://www.ecolregs.com/index.php?lang=en