Maritime teaching and learning in the online space

This presentation provides preliminary insights into the experiences of Maritime Education and Training (MET) faculty and ocean seafaring students with teaching and learning in the online space. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the rapid transition of teaching at the University, to remote delivery. The process to move teaching online was already in place at the University, having been put in motion a couple of years ago. The pandemic served as a catalyst to accelerate the move. MET was no exception to this shift. In 2020, all forty-four ocean seafaring units for the deck (24 units) and engine departments(20 units) were moved online, barring the practical components for which students were required to return to campus. The remote modality of maritime teaching and learning offers novel digital connections between the students, faculty, and the teaching-learning resources. Online teaching and learning are considered advantageous as it accords students the flexibility to pursue their studies while being gainfully employed. The availability of online resources, including lecture recordings are beneficial to the students, as they can revisit the recordings multiple times to consolidate their learning. Student engagement in the online space differs from the physical face-to-face classroom environment due to technological affordances. Students increasingly engage with teachers through email and the video and chat conferencing functionality; and peer to peer engagement is facilitated through discussion boards. Although, not free of challenges, remote learning in MET is here to stay. The affordances of remote teaching and learning modality need to be explored in-depth to support teaching delivery and student learning.