Microlearning drives crew appetite for self-directed training at Eastern Pacific Shipping

Eastern Pacific Shipping, a leading privately-owned ship management firm, has witnessed a surge in demand for self-directed learning after introducing MarinePALS, a maritime e-learning provider's microlearning platform. Within just 30 days, the platform was deployed across all 161 vessels. In the first 45 days, 485 active users viewed 26,722 videos and completed a combined 2,181 hours of training, averaging over 55 videos per user.

This scale of adoption indicates that seafarers are receptive to independent learning when material is concise, engaging, practical, and easily integrated into their schedules.

Crews have been actively exploring the content and returning to the platform for additional videos. Engagement was notably high on several vessels, with one ship's crew watching 3,810 videos, another watching 1,684, and several others surpassing 500 videos in the same period. Since its launch in July 2023, MarinePALS has revolutionized learning through microlearning videos, gamification, and virtual reality programs. Seafarers have rated these modern training programs at a remarkable 98% or higher.

MarinePALS offers videos focusing on specific subjects alongside individual scorecards and fleet leaderboards, allowing Eastern Pacific Shipping to monitor viewing figures and training time. This approach enables the training team to understand how crews are utilizing the content rather than solely relying on course completion records.

Capt. Pradeep Singh, Training Manager at Eastern Pacific Shipping, noted a strong appetite for learning since the introduction of microlearning across the fleet. The high level of activity suggests that crews are not merely logging in to complete assigned courses but are exploring subjects independently.

Capt. Pradeep Chawla, CEO of MarinePALS, emphasized that the way people learn has evolved. While long courses remain crucial for subjects requiring depth and formal assessment, microlearning provides a more flexible and engaging way to maintain interest and revisit subjects between mandatory courses. The response from Eastern Pacific Shipping crews demonstrates the potential when training is tailored to how individuals prefer to learn today.