November 15, 2017

Blended Learning Approach to a Captain’s License


We take the benefits of technology and combine those with the power of face to face interactions to create a Captain's Course that empowers and prepares our students.


Learning has taken so many forms since the birth of technology with its integration into so many aspects of our life. In the 19th century, a chalkboard was cutting edge technology, then radio and TV transformed how students absorbed information. Now with the internet and mobile devices, education can occur anywhere and anytime.

The Marine industry is no exception from this tide of change, we have learned to adapt and assimilate technology into our navigational and mechanical applications. So why hasn’t our education evolved as well?  All Captains are required take U.S Coast Guard approved courses in a classroom before sitting for an exam. However, why do we need to sit in a traditional face to face classroom still to learn the required content?

Online Course

At Confident Captain, we have developed an online learning option for those aspiring captains with the required sea time to reach their goal of obtaining their “ticket.” Whether a Captain's Course is part of a career change or a needed upgrade along your path, not everyone thrives or can has the afforded time to sit in a 56.5-hour classroom course, so we are taking this approach to the education of the future of captains.

We know some learners are visual while others are auditory and an online course affords all types of students the ability to learn at their own pace and more importantly on their own time.

A Captain's Course is tricky, though, because there are types of knowledge that are very hard to learn via a computer such as navigation and plotting.  There are nuances in these concepts that are hard to teach without practice and the ability to ask questions it as close to real-time as possible.

Blended Learning

We feel our detailed yet raw videos give learners the feeling they are right in the classroom with the instructor but we know that is not enough. Interaction with fellow students and teachers are key to success. So we have taken what is called a Blended Learning approach to the course.  

This is the concept that you can merge both the digital and face-to-face world to create a mix knowledge delivery both inside and outside the classroom and online and face-to-face.

We have set up what we like to call “Virtual Office hours”. If you are ever stuck on a concept you can book an appointment for a video conference with one of our captains who will gladly go into detail and answer any questions you might have.

Before you sit for your exam, we also recommend coming in for an actual day of face-to-face review and questions that you might have prepared for the exam.

Lastly, we understand that maybe online education isn't for everyone and if a Captain starts taking an online course and quickly realizes that this isn't for that they can finish the course in any of our face-to-face classrooms for no additional charge. Our goal is to make as many captains as possible feel as safe and prepared to sit for the exam and be a mariner that we can help support.