MLA604 Maritime Operations Assessment Brief 2026 | University of Plymouth/MLA College

MLA604 Assessment Brief

The MLA604 assessment comprises a practical component and a coursework component.

Include visual aids (figures, tables) in your answers where relevant. Support statements and opinions with references, preferable from primary literature (peer reviewed articles). References must follow the Harvard style of referencing. Guidance on referencing, critical thinking, and essay and report writing, are available in the ‘study help’ section of the TLP.

Practical Component Question 1. Recorded Video Presentation And Abstract

1A. Recorded Presentation

You should prepare and submit a recorded academic presentation of maximum 15 minutes. This should be done in PowerPoint, Canva, Keynotes or any other presentation software that you prefer. Your presentation should explain how is digitalization impacting sustainability practices in the maritime sector, and what are the environmental implications of this transformation?

Ensure that you plan the presentation properly, taking full consideration of the method by which scientific reporting is conducted. A typical structure for the presentation might be as follows (though feel free to adopt a sensible/logical structure as you see fit):

• Introduction (e.g., overview of the presentation).
• Background (e.g., key definitions (e.g., digitalization, sustainability in the maritime sector), history, IMO global strategy etc.).
• Impacts (e.g., discuss positive and negative impacts). Use real examples (e.g., smart ports, IoT, data analytics, AI etc.) and literature to support each point.
• Discussion (e.g., broader environmental implications of your findings, regulatory issues, challenges and barriers, contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)). Connect your discussion to the impacts.
• Conclusion: Main findings, key takeaways, and future directions.

Guidance:

• Your face and voice should be available during the presentation.
• Your presentation should stand out by showcasing your creativity and originality.
• Before diving into content creation, plan your presentation thoroughly.
• Visuals like graphs, charts, statistics, and infographics can be powerful tools to support your findings. Ensure these visuals are properly referenced. Visual aids should be included!
• Ensure you reference all sources following Harvard style, whether you are citing scientific papers, books, or industry reports.
• It is expected that you will use sources from outside of the taught programme obtained from both the literature and industry.
• Music and sound effects can improve your presentation appeal, but be sure to use them thoughtfully.
• It is important to engage with your audience. Eye contact is important for engagement.
• Notes are allowed, but reading should be minimised. The goal is to sound natural and maintain a flowing conversation with your audience.
• Use any software or tools for video and audio recording, editing, or media enhancement (e.g., smartphone or camera, Canva,
• Microsoft Office, Clipchamp, iMovie, CapCut etc.). We prefer video recorded in MP4 format.

Submission:

*The recorded presentation (Question 1A) should be sent by WeTransfer (www.wetransfer.com) to student.admin@mla.ac.uk. Make sure the file is saved with your full name (e.g., MLA604- Michael Smith).

It is suggested that the final recorded presentation is sent with enough time in advance to confirm safe receipt at MLA’s side (deadline is on page 1).

Your presentation will be assessed according to the criteria shown on the table below:

1B. Abstract

Together with your recorded video, you must submit an ‘abstract’ summarising your presentation. You should include in the abstract references to the articles and other resources used to build the session and include a reference list at the end (you should use the Harvard referencing style).

The presentation’s abstract should be submitted via Turnitin at the end of week 13 together with the coursework component as answer to Question 1B. See also page 3 (Submission of your Coursework).

Note: An abstract is a piece that should stand by itself, informing the reader on the main points of your presentation, written in an academic style, and including in-text references. An abstract is not a transcript or a guide to your presentation (as examples of abstracts, you can search and look at proceedings or book of abstracts of any scientific conference or articles in peer-review journals).

Coursework Component Question 2. Report

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) aims to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping by 2050. To support this goal, various alternative marine fuels are being considered. Making informed decisions about which fuels to adopt is critical for achieving an efficient, safe, and sustainable transition.

For this task, you are required to briefly compare at least four (04) alternative marine fuels in terms of their advantages, disadvantages, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission potential, cost, scalability, and technology readiness. After comparing them, select ‘one’ fuel you believe offers the best balance of cost-effectiveness and environmental sustainability for the shipping industry.

Once you have made your choice, use the RESTLE framework to examine the external factors that affect or support the adoption of this fuel in the maritime sector. Your analysis should show how these external factors influence the fuel’s potential to help the industry meet its decarbonisation goals.

To assist with structuring your answer, include the following sections:

• Introduction: context, background, rationale, and key definitions etc.
• Comparison of alternative fuels. Consider advantages, disadvantages, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission potential, cost, scalability, technology

MLA College BSc (Hons) Sustainable Maritime Operations  Coursework Moduls Specification