Empirical research have often criticise the weaknesses of passive learning approaches to student learning i.e. traditional lecture-based and classroom-based methods, and that it falls short in many areas. These areas include the inability to accommodate a wide variety of learning styles; support of differing skills and learner capabilities of individuals; and effectively assist learners to understand complex or ill-structured problems. However, the arrival and impact of technology into education institutions have shifted the traditional paradigm of teaching and student learning. One such technology is the computer simulator. The computer simulator is designed to facilitate user-centric learning for specific applications in a simulated, virtual environment. However, relatively little research is conducted into how the simulator engage users, and specifically, the impact it has on the perceptions of higher education learners. This research explores the perceptions of engaged learning held by students of the Australian Maritime College (AMC), particularly in a team-oriented setting, in employing the use of the ship handling bridge simulator. The aim is to reveal selected participants' underlying attitudes, beliefs and perceptions to better understand the impact of student simulation learning. The findings from this research program will provide insight into why the AMC's ship handling simulator is so highly regarded by its students and the influence it has on the users' mindsets and behaviour towards learning. It may have contributed to why the simulation program has been so successful since its inception approximately four years ago.
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Copyright 2004 the Author - The University is continuing to endeavour to trace the copyright owner(s) and in the meantime this item has been reproduced here in good faith. We would be pleased to hear from the copyright owner(s). Thesis (MIS)--University of Tasmania, 2004. Includes bibliographical references