Study on Effective Maritime Training through the Anchoring Training

Anchoring exercises on a training ship have a significant effect on the acquisition of ship handling skills. Furthermore, such training is also effective for the development of critical thinking and problem solving. The authors investigated this topic to develop effective training methods for anchoring exercises. We created a rubric for anchor training, and the instructor evaluated trainees based on the rubric items. These rubrics were effective for judging trainee performance. The effect of dialogue in group work was shown by comments from instructors and the trainees. Group presentations were also evaluated via student comments. After conducting the anchoring training in native language in the spring, the same exercise was conducted in English in the fall. Only English instructions were offered during the training exercise in the first year (2016). In the second year (2017), students took a brief e-learning course in English about anchoring before attempting the second exercise in English. According to instructor evaluations, the second session in 2017 saw a much greater improvement in trainee performance than did the second session in 2016. English practice in the e-learning course allowed students to focus more on practising the techniques they had learned previously when performing the second training exercise in English.