Virtual Reality (VR) in Maritime Simulator Training and Assessment: Navigating the Technology, Practices, and User Perceptions for Effective Integration.

Abstract

This PhD thesis comprehensively investigates different aspects of VR technology, maritime instructors’ input, and students’ perceptions, aiming to provide a strategic framework for integrating VR technology in maritime simulator training and assessment. A multi-faceted approach, including systematic literature reviews, multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) frameworks, and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), was employed in three different phases to gain an in-depth insight into the potential efficacy, challenges, and considerations of integrating VR in maritime simulator training and assessment practices (see Figure 1). In the first phase, two systematic literature reviews were conducted, first to unveil the intricate relationships between various VR features (both technical and experiential) and their impact on learning outcomes in professional training contexts whereas another review to unveil the state-of-the-art assessment practices in maritime simulator training. The first review, carried out using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method, highlight the complexity and context-dependency of VR features and their utilities in skill training. Both reviews highlight the predominance of skill-based learning outcomes over cognitive and affective outcomes in VR training contexts and the predominance of subjective assessment methods, despite the availability of novel assessment opportunities in VR training. The reviews underscore the need for further empirical investigation related to VR use for cognitive and affective learning outcomes, and proposes the need for outcome-based, authentic, and collaborative assessment methods for future maritime training. In the second phase, a hybrid MCDM approach, developed by combining the Bayesian Best-Worst Method (BWM) and the Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE), was utilized to evaluate four major types of simulator modalities used in maritime training – full-mission, desktop-based, VR, and cloud-based simulators – from the instructors’ perspective. The findings indicate that regulatory compliance is the most important criterion, while the cost of simulators is the least important criterion in selecting maritime simulators, with full-mission simulators being the most preferred modality, followed by VR simulators. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis revealed the context-specific importance of different factors and simulator alternatives, providing opportunities for further research in this direction. In the third and final phase, maritime students’ perceptions towards VR simulators were evaluated utilizing theoretical constructs from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) while exploring potential relationships among constructs using the Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) approach. Data collected from maritime students in Norway and the UK and subsequent analysis highlight the significantly positive roles of perceived cognitive benefits, enjoyment, and self-efficacy in VR training. The results also reveal several unique aspects of maritime students' perspectives, showing that learner autonomy negatively correlates with their intention to use VR simulators, while age, gender, and geographical location have an indifferent effect on their intention. In the pursuit of developing the strategic framework for integration, this thesis highlights the unique qualities of VR technology, such as its context-specific strengths as a professional training medium, its potential use with distinct positioning among alternative simulator choices, and the unique perceptions of maritime trainees toward VR simulators. Thus, the findings have relevant, maritime industry-specific measurable implications with the potential to guide the effective deployment of VR simulators for maritime training and assessment.