mlecs.com
Welcome, my name is Martin Stopford and this website accompanies my book Maritime Economics 3rd Edition.
Click the link below to read an article which was first published in the Ship Management International Newsletter:
What is mlecs.com?
mlecs.com is the companion to Maritime Economics 3rd edition. It provides lectures and other material to help students and professionals learn about the maritime business. The chapters follow the format of ME3 and are divided into 10-20 minute videos ("units"), each covering a topic.
To study the chapters you need to join the club. Go to the login screen; enter your personal details; set a password; and you're off. On the home page, left-hand column, click e.g. "Chapter 1" to view the content of that chapter. Or click the "Topical Lecture" radio button and select the topic you are interested in.
Video units mainly focus on the big picture, emphasizing key issues and their practical relevance. To follow up in detail, read the book! The 20 lectures are not complete, but could eventually contain 120 video units, plus a short video introducing each lecture. Study material for each unit includes video, charts in PDF, summary text, and an interactive test to review progress. To begin just click "Maritime lectures".
In the Study Centre, the chapters are organised into courses. Sign up for a course and the website will track your progress, including tests etcetera. Do contact us if you have any problems or suggestions.
The Maritime Lectures Database
The website is built around the comprehensive Maritime Lectures database. This includes lectures; careers information (a database of Maritime courses); a chance to advertise a job for a recent graduates (we link in with universities on this); book reviews and the site where you can publish short research papers (if approved).Who should use mlecs.com?
mlecs.com supports maritime teachers by allowing students to cover basic learning material in their own time, allowing classes to be devoted to more interactive teaching; case studies; debates; field trips et cetera.The material when complete would consist of 20 chapters, each divided into 6 or 7 videos ("units") lasting about 10 minutes each. Along with the video, students can download slides; notes; and tests to check comprehension. Teachers who want to use the material themselves can download PowerPoint slides.
The chapters have also been organised into 6 courses, each covering one area of the business. Course 1 is historical; course 2 covers markets; course 3 covers management accounting; course 4 covers the sea trade; course 5 covers ship design, shipbuilding and regulations; and course 6 covers forecasting, planning and units of measurement. Each of these courses can provide, for example, the basis for an elective subject.
mlecs.com is also ideal for businesses organising in-house training. It allows trainees to work through the study material at their own pace. The flexible online material allows training staff to tailor programmes. With over 150 short videos, it is easy to reorganise the units into bespoke courses, covering issues of particular relevance to the company.