The conversation started with news that Mintra, the digital learning and workforce management specialist for safety-critical industries, has launched two new immersive learning courses for seafarers, no VR headset or simulator centre required! The courses run on desktop PC’s, laptops and tablets and can be downloaded offline. This is a significant step forward for maritime safety training, and the science behind it goes back further than you might expect.
In the late 19th Century, German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus published one of the first systematic experimental studies of memory and forgetting. Using himself as the subject and nonsense syllables as learning material, he showed that retention declines rapidly after learning and then more gradually over time. Under his experimental conditions, about half of the original learning effect was lost within an hour, and after six days, only about a quarter remained. Later learning science has built on this insight by showing that repeated retrieval, spaced review and meaningful connections can improve long-term retention.
More than a century later, the challenge of retaining knowledge after maritime training remains a significant issue. Seafarers complete safety training regularly, but when a real emergency unfolds, such as in an enclosed space or during a live incident, what matters is whether the knowledge has stuck and can be applied under pressure.
Mintra’s new immersive learning capability battles the ‘forgetting curve’ by placing learners in a ‘practice’ simulation. This ‘active engagement’ means the brain is forced to ‘work’, turning short-term information into potentially longer-lasting learning.
Built on advanced 3D simulation technology that is powered by the high-quality gaming ‘Unreal Engine’, Mintra’s immersive learning courses are both accessible and affordable. The first two courses are live already and cover Incident Investigation (MGM-013) and Enclosed Space Entry and Rescue (MGM-205).
In the 20-minute Incident Investigation course, seafarers are placed inside a scenario based on a real maritime incident. They must assess risk, interpret a developing situation, communicate with others and make operational decisions in real time. In Enclosed Space Entry and Rescue, participants have 30 minutes to work through the authentic high-pressure workflows of one of the industry’s most dangerous activities, replicating the delayed and cumulative consequences that characterise real enclosed space incidents.
The context here matters. InterManager has reported a rise in enclosed space casualties from 18 in 2022 to 34 in 2023, with early 2024 figures showing little improvement. Between 2000 and 2024, at least 1,010 ship and shore workers lost their lives in enclosed space accidents. Awareness and regulation have increased. Fatalities have not fallen.
Passive learning, reading, watching and clicking through slides often produce shallow encoding, which means that knowledge fades fast. Whereas learning that involves real decisions, emotional stakes, and realistic consequences is more relevant and encodes more deeply. It is easier to remember long after the training ends.
Ole-Christian Olsen Apeland, Innovation Director for Learning at Mintra, puts it clearly: “Immersive learning is particularly valuable in safety-critical industries because it allows people to go deeper, to really experience a subject, rather than simply consume information. Simulation strengthens retention because learners are placed in the situation with context and then asked to make decisions. For maritime training, that matters. Competence is not only about completing a course but being able to demonstrate skills and judgement in scenarios that are relevant and reflect the real operating environment.”
Mintra’s new courses open up immersive learning to a wider audience, not limited to expensive hardware. They run on standard desktop PC’s, laptops and tablets. No VR equipment is required. Seafarers simply download the course app from the Microsoft Store and run it offline. The simulations are standardised globally, so operators can deliver consistent training across vessels, fleets and ranks regardless of location or crew rotation.
Jessica Suessmilch, Digital Learning Development Manager at Mintra and a former seafarer who led the project, explains the thinking behind it: “Seafarers work long hours, seven days a week, often completing training on top of demanding operational schedules. These simulations close the gap between theory and practice by allowing crews to experience operational decision-making in a safe digital environment.
Pilot activity with Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) produced strong early results. 95% of participating seafarers said the simulation was “useful, realistic and valuable” for onboard learning.
90% reported “improved understanding, reinforced correct procedures and stronger knowledge retention”.
95% said, “the learning by doing approach improved their awareness of operational risks and consequences”.
A spokesperson at BSM, observed a clear shift in how crews engaged with the training: “The realism of the scenarios immediately changed how crews engaged with the pilot training, and many asked for more learning to be delivered this way. They were able to think through operational decisions and understand why certain actions mattered.”
Following each simulation, learners receive a personal performance report to support self-reflection. Fleet managers can access data to identify knowledge gaps, track trends and spot signs of complacency across vessels and ranks, giving organisations a more targeted way to move from compliance-led training towards competency-led safety improvement.
Ebbinghaus showed us that forgetting is the default, and that one of the best ways to counteract it is to make learning stick through spaced repetition, bite-sized learning and emotional connectivity. What Mintra has built represents a broader shift in how the industry can start to think about training. Using innovation as a way to engage and extend the learning experience into something that is more easily retained, aiming at genuine behaviour change.
For more information about Immersive Learning for your crew, contact [email protected]