More than 30 students completed the first-ever online short course in Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities (PSSR) which was hosted by Fiji National University’s (FNU) Fiji Maritime Academy.

The course was specifically developed and delivered during the COVID-19 lockdown period. The two-week programme focused on safety measures while at sea.

FMA Chief Executive Officer Mahesa Abeynayake said given that maritime students are mostly out in the vessels, the successful delivery of the course in an online mode speaks volume of the work done by the Academy.

“We had a quick training for staff who were interested and capable of grasping online training concepts, and we formed a team of online course developers. We had set a time frame to complete all the logistics before we commenced teaching,” said Abeynayake.

“Our staff are hardworking and diligent, and it was their dedication which got us good responses from our students,” he added.

The FMA Chief Executive Officer stated the particular short course was structured in modules, and the final assessment was done under supervision in the Academy.

Students were also provided lecture slides and reading materials to assist with learning.

“Students were required to complete each module to continue to the next. With the given time limit for the ten essay type questions in the assessment, students had to remember the material learnt, leaving them with no time to refer to the internet,” shared the CEO.

Rusiate Lomani who completed the course said he was grateful to FMA to delivering the course online.

“For seafarers who cannot attend classes due to work commitments or if they are at sea, online teaching and learning is the way forward. I hope in future there are more courses which can be offered on a blended mode,” he added.