341
1 INTRODUCTION
In the shipping industry, the need for excellent
educationandonotherhand,theusabilityevaluation
of ship manipulation systems and engine
management,leadstotheuseofnewtechnologiesin
educational practice. Specifically, the Marine
Education & Training (MET), the use of simulators
(engine or ship’s bridge) is fact
. Various maritime
educational standards (i.e. STCW, 95, Manila 2011)
allowthesimulatorsandothereducationaltools(i.e.
educational software, MATLAB) use in educational
practice.
The aim for the application of new technology
(simulators, games etc.), in MET is the transport of
capacity, i.e. to adapt the dexterities learned within
the vessel operating training framework.We
assume tha
t the dexterities and the knowledge
learnedintheclassroomcanbeappliedeffectivelyin
reallifesimilarsituations(Tsoumasetal.,2004).
MET follows certain education standards
(STCW’95/Manila 2011) for each specialty (Captain,
Engineer) andfor eachlevel (Aʹ,Bʹ, C’). Its scope is
the acquisit
ion of basic scientific knowledge,
dexterities on execution (navigation, route plotting,
engineering etc.) as well as protecting the ship and
crew (safety issues and environment protection
issues)(IMO,2003,Papachristosetal.,2012,Tsoukalas
etal.,2008).
InMET,inparticular,theuser’ssatisfactionbased
on objective crit
eria poses an important research
subject because via this we can determine the
background explaining the satisfaction phenomena,
recommending at thesame time new considerations
that will expand the up‐to‐date educational
conclusions on the adult education in educational
Experimental Research with Neuroscience Tool in
Maritime Education and Training (MET)
D.Papachristos&N.Nikitakos
UniversityofAegean,Greece
ABSTRACT: The paper argues
f
or the necessity to combine MMR methods (questionnaire, interview)
,
gaze
tracking as neuroscience tool and sentiment/opinion techniques for personal satisfaction analysis at the
maritime and training education (MET) and proposes a practical research approach for this purpose. The
purposeofthispaperistocomparetheresultsfromgazetracker(Faceanalysistool)ofthreeexperiments&
sentimentanalysisoftwoexperimentsforsatisfactionevaluationofthestudents‐users’(subject
ive)satisfaction
of themaritime education via user interface evaluation of several typesof educational software (i.e. engine
simulator,ECDIS,MATLAB).Theexperimentalprocedurepresentedhereisa primaryefforttoresearchthe
emotion analysis (satisfaction) of the users‐students in MET. The gaze tra
cking & sentiment analysis
methodologyappearstobeonesufficientasevaluationtool.Finally,theultimategoalofthisresearchistofind
and test the critical factors that influence the educational practice and user’s satisfaction of MET modern
educationaltools(simulators,ECDISetc.).
http://www.transnav.eu
the International Journal
on Marine Navigation
and Safety of Sea Transportation
Volume 10
Number 2
June 2016
DOI:10.12716/1001.10.02.17
342
programs and software development (IMO, 2003,
Papachristos,Nikitakos,2010,2011).
The paper argues for the necessity of a mixed
approach to usability and educational evaluation at
the engine room or Ship bridge simulation, and
proposes a practical framework for this purpose. In
particular, we use a multi‐method approach for
the
usability and educational evaluation of maritime
simulatorsandothereducationaltoolsthatcombines
physiologicaldatageneratedfromgazetrackingdata
(neuroscience tool), questionnaires and interviews
and speech recording for measuring emotional user
responses‐lexical analysis. The combination of these
methodsaimsatthegenerationofmeasurableresults
of user
experience complementary assessments
(Papachristosetal.,2012).
Gazetrackinginvolvesdetectingandfollowingthe
directioninwhichapersonlooks.Thedirectionofthe
eye gaze can express the user’s interests; it is a
potential porthole into the current cognitive
processes. Communication through the direction of
the eyes is faster than
any other mode of human
communication. Gaze Tracking has been applied: in
Human Computer Interaction, Advertising,
Communication for disabled, Virtual Reality,
Improvedimage and video communication, Medical
fieldandHumanBehaviorStudy(Arpan,2009).
Eye observation on handiness tests is a rather
promisingnewfieldespeciallyforsystem designers,
as
itmayofferinformationonwhatmayattractuser
attentionandwhicharetheproblematicareasduring
system use. The research area on use of the optical
recordingtoolsisthequestforanexactinterpretation
of the optical measurements, their connection to the
satisfaction and the learning effectiveness for users.
Suggestedresearchaimsatthisdirectionwiththeuse
ofneurosciencemethodsincombinationwiththeuse
of qualitative‐quantitative researches aiming at the
extraction of useful conclusion that will help
simulator system designers to develop the systems
(especially the interface, delivering & organizing
educationmaterial),classdesignerstobetter
organize
material and modern tools use (better planed
educational scenarios that thriftily develop the
trainees abilities but also can offer a more objective
evaluation of their abilities & function as future
captains or mechanics) and finally the expansion of
theadulteducationfieldbyoffering newconclusions
regardingtheuseof
e‐learning(introductionmodes,
evaluation) and possible revision of maritime
education models of the respective apposite
organizations (ΙΜΟ) (Dix et al., 2004, Papachristos,
Nikitakos,2010,2011).
An important factor that can be investigated in
relation to the emotional experience (specifically
satisfactionphenomenon)isthelanguageprocess.The
psychological
research in the language production,
comprehension and development is developed
mainlyafter1960asaresultoflinguist’sN.Chomsky
researchongenerativegrammar.Thepsycholinguistic
research showed that language comprehension and
production is not influenced only from factors not
relatedtotheirlinguisticcomplexitybutalsofromthe
speaker’s/listener’sexisting
knowledgefortheworld
around him/her, as well as by the information
included in the extra linguistic environment (Pinker
and Jackendorff, 2005). Investigating the emotional
gravityofwordsspokenbyaspeakeranddefinedits
emotionalstate(currentorpast)constitutesastateof
the art issue. Most of the
emotional state
categorization suggested concern the English
language. In recent years many sentiment analysis
and opinion mining applications have been
developedtoanalyzeopinions,feelingsandattitudes
aboutproducts,brands,andnews,andthelike(Maks
andVossen,2012).
Generally, this approach is generic, in the sense
that it can be
the starting point for an integrated
usability & educational evaluation of the interactive
technologiesduringin‐situeducation, simulationand
pragmatic ship operation management. Today, in
total the application of neurosciences on education
and especially gaze‐tracking methods are an
important research quest and expansion (Goswami,
2007,Papachristos,Nikitakos,2010).
2 LITERATUREREVIEWANDSCOPE
As more information is integrated on board by
implementing an e‐navigation strategy plan in the
future, graphic user interface (GUI) is likely to be
moresophisticated.Suchsophisticatedequipmentcan
enhance navigational safety if seafarers can operate
equipment, access information and understand it
properly. So,
when seafarers misunderstand
information, sophistication will not lead to
navigationalsafetyandrathermayposerisksonthe
ship.Thus,itisimportanttoestablishamethodology
for usability evaluation (with emphasis on user’s
satisfaction) navigational or engine management
equipment(IMO,2012).
Usability has been defined by ISO 9241 as
“the
extent to which a product can be used by specified
users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness,
efficiency, and satisfaction in a specified context of
use”. It is widely acknowledged that the efficiency
and effectiveness can be measured in an objective
manner, i.e. in specific contexts of use and with
the
participationofrepresentativeusergroups. Theyare
usuallydefinedintermsofmetricslike:tasksuccess,
time‐to‐task, errors, learnability (in repetitive use
tests),etc.;whilepersonalsatisfactionissubjectivein
natureanddependsonthecharacteristicsoftheuser
groupsaddressed(Papachristosetal.,2012,Tullisand
Albert, 2008, Kotzabasis, 2011). Usability testing
procedures used in user‐centered interactionare
designedtoevaluateaproductbytestingitonusers.
Thiscanbeseenasanirreplaceableusabilitypractice,
sinceitgives direct inputon how realusers use the
system. Usability testing focuses on measuring a
human
‐madeproductʹs capacitytomeetitsintended
purpose(Dixetal.,2004,Nielsen,1994).Anumberof
usability methods have been developed and
promotedbydifferentresearchers(NeilsonandMark,
1994,Norman,2006,Ryu,2005).
There is considerable work on the ergonomic &
usability assessment of the human strain
(Torner et
al., 1994) and the design and arrangement of ship
equipment. This work has few applications in
shippingindustry(Petersenetal.,2010) and has not
yet resulted to well established evaluation methods
343
and cases (Wang, 2001). More specifically, these
studies tend to report on usage effects on health,
safetyandmentalworkload;howevertheyofferlittle
guidance on the evaluation methods and/or the
design of the respective technology and equipment
(devices)withrespecttousability(Papachristosetal.,
2012).
Research in Human
‐Computer Interaction (HCI)
has created many methods for improving usability
duringthedesignprocessaswellasattheevaluation
ofinteractiveproducts.Thestudyofusabilityitselfis
extended to include other aspects of the user
experience like accessibility, aesthetics, emotion and
affectandergonomics(Papachristosetal.,2012).
The area of computer simulation has been
successfully applied to the study and modeling of
processes,applicationsandreal‐worldobjects(Rutten
et al., 2012). The simulators constitute a category of
educational software and follow a methodology of
application in instructive practice (Crook, 1994,
Solomonidou, 2001). According to de Jong and
van
Joolingen(1998)acomputersimulationis“aprogram
thatcontainsamodelofasystem(naturalorartificial;
e.g.,equipment)oraprocess”.Theiruseinthescience
ortechnologyeducationhasthepotentialtogenerate
higher learning outcomes in ways not previously
possible(Akpan,2001).Incomparisonwith
textbooks
andlectures, alearningenvironmentwithacomputer
simulation has the advantages that students can
systematicallyexplorehypotheticalsituations,interact
with a simplified version of a process or system,
change the time‐scale of events, and practice tasks
andsolveproblemsinarealisticenvironmentwithout
stress (van Berkum and
de Jong, 1991). A student’s
discovery that predictions are confirmed by
subsequenteventsinasimulation,whenthestudent
understandshowtheseeventsarecaused,canleadto
refinement of the conceptual understanding of a
phenomenon (Windschitl and Andre, 1998). Possible
reasons instigating teachers to use computer
simulations include: the
saving of time, allowing
themtodevotemoretimetothestudentsratherthan
setting up and supervising experimental equipment;
the ease with which experimental variables can be
manipulated, allowing for stating and testing
hypotheses; and provision of ways to support
understandingwithvarying representations, suchas
diagramsandgraphs(Blake
andScanlon,2007).
Specifically, the Maritime Engine Simulation
(MES)allowsthecreationofreal,dynamicsituations
that take place on a ship at sea in a controlled
surroundingwherenavalmachineofficersareableto
(Kluj,2002;Tsoumasetal.,2004):
1 practicenewtechniquesanddexterities
2 shapeopinions
fromteachersandcolleagues
3 transport the theory of a real situations in a safe
operation
4 face several problems simultaneously rather than
successively, can learn by giving priority to
multipleobjectivesunderhighpressuresituations
andchangesituationsaccordingly.
Gaze interaction through eye tracking is an
interface technology that has
great potential. Eye
tracking is a technology that provides analytical
insights for studying human behavior and visua l
attention (Duchowski, 2007). Moreover, it is an
intuitive human–computer interface that especially
enables users with disabilities to interact with a
computer (Nacke et al., 2011). Infrared monitor eye
gaze tracking Human‐
Computer Interaction (HCI),
which is limited by restrictions of user’s head
movement and frequent calibrations etc, is an
important HCI method (Cheng