Great differences.On video side, cost is not so big (could be restricted place, and only few computers), and except bug, there is almost no possibility to break material. On the other side, scale models or engine facilities, investment is much more important and the site where to store and to play should be extensive. Also the consequence of damage is more important. A wrong manœuvre (such as a collision with a quay or another vessel, a boiler explosion) will have bigger consequences. Even if for engine facilities, damage could lead to maintenance learning, or how to learn from a mistake. Take care of costs.In order to clarify my own point of view, let me say that learning on a simulator is good. But consider, it should be performed in knowledge of dangers of this kind of learning, and by requiring more than acquisition of automatic reactions. Let us see what are the advantages and disadvantages of simulator, restrictions in its use, and how to perform better. Advantages: |
Considering human factors in simulation is essential. It leads to a more real situation, and to the necessity to work as a team like on a bridge or in an engine, to include additional problems by interfering with phone calls, amazing mails as well known by our technical, quality or commercial services ashore. To force the trainee to assimilate that concentration should be at maximum at all times what ever are circumstances.
And then to forget that it is only a game. I am always surprised to see students, in courses on simulators, to laugh because they had a collision with port entry jetties or another student. It is amazing for the “play station” generation to play on a video game and to receive further explanation that we have only one life, not 7 or 10, that in life, we will never come back astern. Even if I said sometimes bad things about training on simulators, my last comments will be that I think it is absolutely necessary for every captain and chief engineer to receive training on simulators, for different reasons: to try, to go in depth of knowledge, to correct wrong or unsafe automatic reactions. On videos or on scale models, with, in my opinion, more benefits with scale models which are certainly more realistic and less players. |