Innovative Approach in Mathematical Education for Maritime Students Erasmus Project

Project Title

Innovative Approach in Mathematical Education for Maritime Students

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

MareMathics is an Erasmus+, KA2, Strategic Partnership project with the aim of supporting the creation and implementation of innovative practices in mathematics education for students of maritime studies across Europe, promoting cooperation of respective institutions, peer learning and exchange of experience among teaching staff.
In contemporary mathematical classrooms at maritime universities, students learn early on that study of mathematics is realized by sitting still, filling out worksheets and by following mathematical procedures that are rigid and set in stone. Mathematical problems and procedures presented to students are mainly oriented to solutions of mathematical problems that are in general unrelated to the student’s later seafarer profession. Consequently, the perception of mathematical education by many students at maritime universities is that knowledge of mathematics is not essential for advancement of their future seafarer careers.
This fosters the lack of students’ interest for mathematical education, and is characterized by low success rates at mathematical exams, sometimes as low as 8% success to fail ratio. Furthermore, because many of courses at maritime universities rely on prior knowledge of mathematics the lack of fundamental knowledge of mathematics is the main cause for low success on these exams and it is the cause of high drop-out rate of students at maritime universities. For example, in 2017 about 50% of first year students dropped out from the study of navigation at Faculty of Maritime Studies, University of Split where most of the drop-out students listed the mathematics as the main cause for the failure. The similar problem is reported by maritime universities in Croatia, and partners’ countries: Poland, Estonia and Latvia.
In previous cooperation among higher education maritime institutions involved in this project, it was agreed that the students of these study programmes have shown difficulties in completing their tasks within this subject and statistics, showing therefore both low success rates, as well as learning outcomes below expectations. Motivation is not showing high levels either and consequently, teachers of mathematics are willing to search and explore new teaching tools and methods to change these trends.
As a result, project envisages support for teachers of mathematics at maritime study programmes, in the form of innovative teaching methods, using contemporary IT and communication tools.
Project Partners:
P1 University of Split (Faculty of Maritime Studies), Croatia
P2 Tallinn University of Technology, Estonian Maritime Academy, Estonia
P3 Latvian Maritime Academy, Latvia
P4 Polish Naval Academy, Poland
P5 Toni Milun– Independent Microenterprise, Croatia

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 224204 Eur

Project Coordinator

SVEUCILISTE U SPLITU & Country: HR

Project Partners

• LATVIJAS JURAS AKADEMIJA
• AKADEMIA MARYNARKI WOJENNEJ
• TALLINNA TEHNIKAULIKOOL
• Toni Milun, obrt za poslovno savjetovanje i usluge