Maritime Work System Design

About this project

<p>The Maritime Work System Design (MWSD) course design project sets out to supplement the present education of naval architects on two conceptually different levels, a) at the knowledge level, with the purpose of designing a 6 ECTS course that will provide students with basic human factors knowledge tailored for naval architecture, and b) at the social level, which will introduce teachers and students to a multidisciplinary environment, showing by example the value of cooperation between different professions.&nbsp;</p> <p>Universities are increasingly aware of the Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate (CDIO) methodology, which is a cross-disciplinary and multidisciplinary approach to design of technology. The adoption of the CDIO process constitutes a shift from a more traditional engineering curriculum to a more modern stance, resharpening the educational focus from a narrower, technocentric position towards a broader, work-system oriented view, where people, technology and organizations are considered in unison. Novel main themes introduced pivots on system engineering, user centered design and human factors. Seen together, CDIO describes education where students, teachers and courses increasingly focus on technology-in-context, resulting in graduates which are better prepared to be employed and function in industrial multi-disciplinary teams.Building on previous, successful classes in Sweden and Australia, development of the course will involve naval architects, educators and human factors experts from Portuguese and Norwegian higher-level educational institutions, and development will cycle through three one-year cycles to develop/refine, teach, learn and improve. The course will be practical through a high level of hands-on, classroom interaction and the active involvement of students, and will have outgoing activities to visit ships and have direct contact with seafarers. The MWSD course will be given both as a traditional semester course as well as a summer school course.<br> &nbsp;</p>

Bilateral cooperation results

The collaboration between Norwegian and Portuguese partners was essential for the project's success. It enabled the exchange of knowledge and expertise between different academic and cultural contexts, which enriched the process of developing curricula and teaching materials. This contributed to a more comprehensive and relevant course. The partnership also made it possible to test and refine the course across different student populations and educational settings, to ensure that it is adaptable and effective for various groups of participants. The bilateral collaboration also contributes to increased knowledge and understanding of human factors in maritime engineering among both students, professionals and educators. In the long term will promote a stronger culture of safety and usability in ship design in both Norway and Portugal. The partnership has led to wider effects, such as potential future collaborations and the dissemination of the course to other educational institutions, and to wider groups of professionals in the industry. There are plans to continue the bilateral collaboration, with discussions underway to integrate it into broader educational programs, such as such as lifelong learning courses at NTNU, and the Naval Architecture master's program at IST Lisbon. Future collaborations will also explore additional opportunities for joint research and educator exchange.

Project partners

• Norwegian University of Science and Technology Donor project partner· Norway
• Western Norway University of Applied Sciences Donor project partner· Norway