Calculation of storm fuel supply of a seagoing vessel: solving professionally-oriented tasks using cloud services

Abstract

The information and communicative competency today is an integral part of professional training in any sphere. Due to the fact that nowadays big amount of work is done or monitored in the remote mode the requirement is stipulated for every specialist to be able to use digital technologies professionally. For a future seafarer it means, first of all, the ability to use modern technologies as the information and data resource and also it presupposes the ability to work with software libraries, to create data bases, to perform necessary calculations by means of cloud services inclusive. This component is of extreme practical importance as it enables the satisfaction of the social mandate to prepare future seafarers for the living in the information environment. The task is quite challenging so it requires the adequate knowledge level. That is why the main objective of the course “Information technologies” together with other subjects within the curriculum for the professional training in maritime academy is to develop the reliable scientific and methodological grounds for the realization of any professionally related tasks of future merchant feet officers. Specially selected tasks acquaint cadets with information technology in terms of implementing the solution of applied professionally oriented tasks, such as navigating the course, determining the location of the vessel, calculating stocks for the trip, etc. Therefore, the obligatory elements of the tasks are: construction of mathematical (computer) models;analysis of possible solutions to the problem; of technological processes, taking into account all factors influencing the process and methods of decision-making;implementation of mathematical models of problems in spreadsheets. This article proposes a strategy for solving an applied problem using an information-modeling approach to the analysis and evaluation of the technological process, namely, the algorithm for calculating the required voyage and storm fuel reserves of a marine vessel. Both office spreadsheets and cloud services were used to implement the mathematical model for solving this problem. The use of “cloud computing” technologies in the training of seafarers is due to the fact that, firstly, while on board, the master or ship mechanic can perform some components of their work, especially joint projects, in modern services, and secondly, these technologies, supporting traditional forms of education, is a new stage in the development of education and a cost-effective, efficient and flexible way to meet the needs of students in acquiring new knowledge.