| Abstract | This report describes a systematic study aimed at establishing the validation and accreditation of small craft simulator training as pertaining to Totally Enclosed Motor Propelled Survival Craft (TEMPSC) operation in ice. In other words, the study sets out to examine whether simulation based training can be adopted as a valid and reliable surrogate for standard physical lifeboat training. Full-scale field trials were conducted using a TEMPSC in an ice field at Paddy’s Pond, Newfoundland and Labrador. The objective of the study was to evaluate navigation through the ice field based on variables such as time through course, number of impacts, and nozzle executions. Naïve participants were assigned to groups: group one completed physical training in the classroom and in the TEMPSC in calm water (Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping, STCW), group two completed the same STCW training complemented by a classroom briefing on ice navigation, and group three completed the classroom briefing on ice navigation along with simulator training (full mission class “S” training simulator). Through a comparison of these groups it was hoped that the simulator-trained participants would perform just as well, or better, than those who underwent the physical training in terms of effectiveness and proficiency in ice field navigation. Overall, the results of this study suggest that simulator-trained participants were more likely to successfully navigate the TEMPSC through the ice field from waypoint to waypoint in comparison to those who received standard STCW training or the STCW training complemented by an ice briefing. Due to a small sample size, relatively large amounts of variance, and frequently changing environmental conditions, significant differences between the groups may have been masked. As such, further research may be required to conclusively validate small craft simulation training for operation in ice-covered waters. |
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