Strategies for Engaging Maritime Students in Case Study-Based Learning

This paper provides insight into an interdisciplinary methodology developed for maritime students to engage them in the learning process, considering that learning through a real professional experience provided by case studies brings along more thorough results. As per the Preamble of the Fifth Amendment of the IAMU Basic Agreement, human resources are the critical element in the shipping industry. The paper addresses the manifold aspects of case studies utilized by MET institutions in the teaching process with a beneficial effect on the learning outcomes. The case-based methodology helps students understand the most relevant facets of the maritime profession and activities on board ships alongside the diverse equipment functionality, maintenance, components and failures thereof. The authors use case studies to motivate students and stimulate their involvement, to help them learn from one another while encouraging them to ask and answer questions and develop maritime professional knowledge and skills. Maritime case studies analyse real-life events that occurred on board or during the ship-to-shore communication process. Depending on the academic subject and considering the IMO model courses, case studies are used as teaching accessories to develop hard skills and/or soft skills for problem-solving, and as such they often focus on external factors, situational context and circumstances.