The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is teaching vital lifesaving skills
via e-learning, in an effort to improve training and reduce costs.
Chris Wilkinson, operations training manager at RNLI, said e-learning offers
cost-effective, flexible and verifiable teaching.
He estimates that the package, designed by Gossip Multimedia, will save the
RNLI £80,000 in the first year alone.
"Ordinarily, the RNLI would need to cover the cost of the trainers
visiting the 230 lifeboat stations around the coasts of the UK and Republic of
Ireland," he said. "In addition, crew members visit the headquarters
for training days, involving travel expenses and a loss of time spent on duty.
"With the e-learning package, crew members can learn at lifeboat
stations or even at home at their own convenience."
The e-learning package shows the 4,500 crew members how to deal with various
life-threatening situations including survival at sea, man overboard, effects
of the cold, and extinguishing engine room fires.
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Crew members learn lifesaving techniques through interactive video
simulations, and are tested through a series of multiple-choice questions.
Students’ results are provided at the end of the course, which can be monitored
for appraisal and verification purposes.
The RNLI is planning four more e-learning courses for next year.
