Reviewing seafarer assessment methods to determine the need for authentic assessment

The Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention set global, minimum standards of competence for seafarers. Maritime Education and Training institutes (METs) are responsible for ensuring assessment processes not only assure attainment of STCW outcomes but also produce competent graduates that meet the expectations of core stakeholders such as regulators and employers. A review of literature in this area, however, suggests that some current assessment methods employed by METs are largely failing on both accounts. This paper argues that STCW falls short in its ability to provide appropriate standards and looks at the need for authentic assessment in seafarer training. A brief review of authentic assessment presented herein highlights characteristics that may improve the shortcomings of current assessment methods and STCW. The paper proposes authentic assessment as a way to elevate the collection of evidence of a seafarer's competence using methods that promote student engagement and transfer of competence in different contextual scenarios.