Maritime English Instruction for Future Ship Engineers: A Pedagogical Study Using ChatGPT and Digital Learning Platforms.

Abstract

The paper is devoted to the use of Artificial Intelligence while teaching Maritime English to future ship engineers. The analysis of scientific literature was done in the article. The research shows a limited number of works devoted to the use of Artificial Intelligence in maritime education and training. The experimental study was conducted at the Ukrainian Maritime Academy and college. Diagnostic testing, questionnaires, various interactive teaching methods, professionally oriented tasks, digital tools, and instruments were used during the experiment. Moreover, the pedagogical experiment was conducted to test the effectiveness of motivational assessments, interactive and professionally oriented methods of teaching Maritime English in the training of future ship engineers. The sample consisted of 153 cadets from the Marine Engineering Faculty. They were divided into experimental and control groups. Quastionnaires identified the dynamics of cadets’ motivation in the AI use while e-learning. The DataIsland platform with integrated ChatGPT was chosen as the main Artificial Intelligence tool. LMS Moodle was used as the main platform to contain interactive tasks, quizzes, etc. Systematic processing and analysis were carried out to verify the validity of the results. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were combined to ensure objectivity of the experiment. Statistical analysis was used to process the data. Cadets studied the following topics in Maritime English: engine room equipment, its maintenance, instructions on emergencies, watchkeeping procedure, etc. The integration of artificial intelligence into the learning process allowed the use of ChatGPT to simulate dialogues in professional scenarios. ChatGPT was also effective in creating case scenarios. Another advantage of ChatGPT is its effectiveness in creating glossaries and creating interactive exercises. According to the results, the experimental group achieved greater progress in learning Maritime English, which is very important for ship engineers. The results also prove that AI in Maritime English e-learning should be used as a supportive and motivational tool. This research has important practical implications for teachers (e.g., design of professionally oriented tasks, teachers’ digital competence development).