Assessment 9: Reflective Practice Portfolio on the Human Element and Maritime Human Factors (1,500–2,500 words)

Module and Assessment Overview

Module title: The Human Element in Maritime Safety and Operations
Assessment type: Individual reflective practice portfolio / narrative
Weighting: 20–30% of module grade (see programme handbook)
Length: 1,500–2,500 words total (excluding references and any appendices)
Submission format: Reflective portfolio document (DOCX or PDF) via the VLE/learning portal
Level: Final-year undergraduate / postgraduate taught (Level 6/7 equivalent)

Assessment Context

The human element is now explicitly recognised by IMO as a multidimensional factor that underpins maritime safety, security and environmental protection, cutting across shipboard operations, shore management and regulatory practice. Contemporary guidance stresses that addressing human factors is a shared responsibility involving seafarers, companies, flag and port states and international organisations, and that attention must be paid to skills, limitations, wellbeing and safety culture rather than only technical compliance. This assessment requires you to reflect systematically on your own learning, experience and professional development in relation to the human element, using recognised reflective and human factors frameworks.

Assessment Task

Task description

Compile a reflective practice portfolio (1,500–2,500 words) that documents and critically analyses your developing understanding of the human element and human factors in maritime operations. Your portfolio should be organised into 3–4 short reflective narratives (for example 400–700 words each) anchored in specific learning events, practical experiences, simulations, case studies or workplace situations.

Each narrative must connect a concrete experience to at least one recognised human element or human factors concept (for example situation awareness, communication and teamwork, decision-making under pressure, soft skills, safety culture, wellbeing and resilience).

Possible reflective focuses

• A bridge or engine-room simulator exercise where communication, leadership or workload management significantly influenced outcomes.

• A classroom or online human factors session that altered how you think about human error, safety culture or “just culture”.

• A real or reported incident / near miss (for example from MAIB, IMO “human element” examples or company bulletins) that prompted you to reconsider assumptions about competence, soft skills or organisational support.

• Your evolving view of seafarers’ soft skills, motivation and mental wellbeing, and how these link to training, coaching and mentoring in practice.

Core requirements

Each reflective narrative should follow a structured approach such as Gibbs’ cycle or a “what / so what / now what” model, adapted to maritime context:

1. Describe the experience

   • Outline briefly what happened, where, who was involved and your role, ensuring confidentiality and anonymisation where needed.

2. Analyse human element aspects

   • Identify key human factors at play (for example communication patterns, team climate, decision-making, workload, fatigue, motivation).

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   • Link these to relevant concepts or guidance from IMO, human element literature or professional materials.

3. Reflect on your own assumptions and responses

   • Discuss how you perceived the situation at the time, what you did or thought, and what you now see differently.

   • Consider any emotional responses and how they influenced decisions or interactions, in line with soft skills discussions.

4. Identify learning and future actions

   • Specify what you have learned about the human element and your own practice.

   • Outline concrete changes you intend to make (for example in communication, preparation, leadership, self-management) and how you will monitor progress.

Across the portfolio you must also include a short integrative section (approximately 300–500 words) where you step back and discuss how your reflections collectively relate to human element frameworks (for example IMO’s human element vision and principles, the Nautical Institute human element guidance, or similar).

Additionally, it is encouraged to consider how personal resilience, stress management, and cognitive load influence decision-making in operational contexts. Reflecting on these aspects can enhance professional judgement and demonstrate an integrated understanding of both technical and human performance factors (Sha, 2020).

Formatting and Submission Requirements

• Word count: 1,500–2,500 words (excluding reference list and any appendices). Indicate total word count on the cover page.

• Structure: 3–4 clearly separated reflective narratives plus one integrative section.

• Style: First person is acceptable and expected; maintain academic tone, clarity and respect for confidentiality.

• Referencing: Harvard style for all cited frameworks, models and human element sources.

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• Sources: At least 6–8 substantive references, including IMO human element documentation, professional guidance and academic work on maritime human factors and soft skills.

Learning Outcomes Assessed

• LO1: Explain key concepts and frameworks related to the human element and human factors in maritime operations.

• LO2: Reflect critically on personal experiences and learning activities using structured reflective models.

• LO3: Relate individual practice to broader human element principles, including soft skills, safety culture and wellbeing.

• LO4: Identify specific areas for professional development in relation to human factors and the human element.

• LO5: Communicate reflective insights clearly and coherently in written form.

Marking Criteria and Scoring Rubric

The reflective practice portfolio is marked out of 100 and normally contributes 20–30% of the module grade.

A recent bridge team exercise where I acted as officer of the watch made me confront how easily task focus can narrow attention and erode situation awareness when workload and time pressure rise. My energy went into maintaining the traffic picture on the radar and ECDIS, which meant I barely noticed the subtle change in tone on the bridge when the cadet at the helm started to hesitate and the master’s instructions became more abrupt. In hindsight, that shift in communication and body language was an early sign that the team was losing its shared mental model of the situation, something the Nautical Institute’s human element guidance describes as a common precursor to error when people stop speaking up or checking each other’s assumptions. I realised that I had equated good performance with technical competence and “getting the plot right”, rather than with creating an environment where junior crew felt safe to question my decisions, which is closer to how soft skills and safety culture are framed in recent human element material. In future simulator sessions and, eventually, on board, I intend to treat short, explicit check-ins with the team as part of my core workload, not as an optional extra, because those small prompts are what keep communication channels open when the pressure starts to build.

Learning Resources (Harvard Style)

• Sha, M. (2020) A study of the human factors in maritime safety. Master’s dissertation, World Maritime University. Available at: https://commons.wmu.se/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1272&context=msem_dissertations

• International Maritime Organization (2023) ‘Human element’ web resource. Available at: https://www.imo.org/en/ourwork/humanelement/pages/default.aspx

• The Nautical Institute (2015) The Human Element: A guide to human behaviour in the shipping industry. Available at: https://www.nautinst.org/static/uploaded/e22106a2-337b-46a9-9449aa6fc2c439f5.pdf

• Maritime Cyprus / Prevention at Sea (2020) ‘Optimising the human element in the maritime industry’. Available at: https://maritimecyprus.com/2020/10/25/optimising-the-human-element-in-the-maritime-industry/

• Safety4Sea (2025) ‘Human element: understanding the importance of seafarers’ soft skills’. Available at: https://safety4sea.com/cm-human-element-understanding-the-importance-of-seafarers-soft-skills/

• Veltsin, E. (2021) Integrating human factors in maritime safety training: reflective approaches. Master’s dissertation, University of Piraeus. Available at: https://dione.lib.unipi.gr/xmlui/bitstream/handle/unipi/16819/Veltsin_mde-op2103.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y