Communicating at Sea: Flexible learning for maritime education

A framework for communicating at sea was developed following the concepts of 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 mode 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 on land. 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 and also to ensure the organizations of efficient operations from their employees. Descriptive and quantitative methods were used in the data gathered from models of distance education in the Philippines and abroad. Faculty- and student-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 (ICTs). The results show how adept the respondents are when it comes to communication and 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.