How Rift Valley Institute of Business Studies adapted to new way of teaching
Hospitality students at the Rift Valley Institute of Business Studies at Nakuru Town campus during practical lessons.
When the Covid-19 pandemic broke out last year, many private and public institutions of higher learning were forced to switch to online teaching.
Many of these schools were caught unprepared since they had no facilities and know-how to conduct remote teaching, even as students withheld college fees, yet the majority of the institutions solely depend on this to meet their overhead costs.
As a result, to remain afloat, some institutions were forced to send their workers on unpaid leave while others had to take pay cuts – the aftermath was hundreds of workers being rendered jobless.
Purity Muhatia Khalenya, 22, was a final year student at Rift Valley Institute of Business Studies in Nakuru Town pursuing a diploma in broadcast journalism when the pandemic broke.
"I was confused. I had prepared well for the final examination and when the college was closed, I was thrown into a state of confusion and panic," said Ms Khalenya.
Fashion and design students during a practical lesson at the Rift Valley Institute of Business Studies.
Another student who went into panic mode is Patrick Maina Karagacha who was studying a diploma in tourism management while Ms Brenda Chepkirui was pursuing a diploma in social work when the pandemic put brakes on her ambition to upgrade after completing the course.
"I plan to complete the diploma course and enrol for a degree course and attain my life ambition of pursuing a master’s degree and serve my community," said Ms Chepkirui who comes from Kericho County.
Fortunately, their worries were put to rest when the management of the Rift Valley Institute of Business Studies partnered with Safaricom to make online teaching and learning possible.
The three students scored Distinction One and were among the 53 students out of 176 who scored impressive marks in their final examinations.
Journalism students at the Rift Valley Institute of Business Studies at Nakuru Town campus during a practical lesson.
"I'm so excited that finally I have been able to complete my diploma and my journey to attaining a doctorate degree has just begun. I was worried and almost gave up when universities were shut down. I'm happy the institute embraced online learning,” said Mr Maina who was accompanied by his mother during an award-giving ceremony at the institute.
Students who excelled in the examinations were awarded tablets and cash awards ranging from Sh1,000 to Sh10,000.
"Covid-19 was an eye-opener, it shed light on our management systems, and since we don't know how long this disease will hang over our heads, we decided to overhaul our teaching methodology and embraced online teaching,” explains the director, John Kimemia Gitau.
Beauty and hairdressing students at the Rift Valley Institute of Business Studies at Nakuru Town campus during a practical lesson.
Mr Gitau adds that all their satellite campuses in Nakuru Town, Gilgil, Njoro, and Kericho which offer courses in business, technical, hospitality, fashion and design have switched to online teaching.
The institute has also created a platform in which they have partnered with Google, in collaboration with Microsoft, and rolled out virtual classrooms to boost distance learning.
"Just before classroom learning was suspended, we mobilised resources and trained our staff and students on how to access virtual learning through their laptops and smartphones at home, therefore learning continued uninterrupted," says the director, adding that the school negotiated with Safaricom for an easier way for their students to connect online and also provided the students with Data Pass, which allowed them exclusive access to the platform for online learning only.
Director of Rift Valley Institute of Business Studies John Kimemia Gitau at his office at the Nakuru Town campus on June 9, 2021.
The principal, Paul Kamau, said that despite the challenges, the students performed well.
"I attribute this to hard work by students and tutors and the collaboration between Safaricom's data pass program and the management," he says.
In readiness for a possible future disruption of face-face learning, the institute has enrolled its 65 tutors for an online executive management course at Stanford University, the aim to deepen their understanding of the teaching virtually.
