Study at Richfield for world class education

Campus Infrastructure

Richfield’s mix of policies, frameworks, strategies and practices and reconfigured them, to provide learners with a world class learning experience. The legacy of the institution continues with the year 2020 loaded with a range of new initiatives. Some aspects are highlighted below.

World Class Institution

The Institution’s programmes have been historically driven by demand in the workplace. The National Scarce Skills List for South Africa provided by the Department of Labour as well as The Seta Sector Skills Plan demand work-based programmes that are geared towards preparing learners in finding meaningful employment in the ICT, commerce, and government.

Work Integrated Learning

Included in the curriculum are, compulsory work readiness skills and work integrated learning programmes requiring appropriate workplace assessment for all learners, before awarding qualifications.

Learner’s On-line

Access to “Learner’s On-line”, a responsive learner support system which is integrated into the Campus Administration System and Learner Concerns Framework of the Institution facilitates learner progress.

Learner Management System

The institution has migrated to the Moodle Learner Management System which is also used by major universities of the world. Learners can directly access additional learning content from the website.

Relevant Curriculum

Developing and delivering curricula in line with industry and employer requirements are supported by an externally represented National Academic, Quality Assurance and Research Board (NAQARB) in line with the Institution’s Curriculum Design and Improvement Framework.

Professional Management

Teaching and Learning expertise on each campus, together with professional management, ensure that the learning needs of learners are met and that the quality of teaching for learning, community engagement, assessment and research is continually improved. Students are provided with a system of nationally managed, standardized learning materials and curricula which are reviewed and upgraded regularly. Student materials are also preloaded on Tablet PCs, making them easily accessible.

Interactive Learning

Manageable class sizes allow for interactive teaching for learning and provision of strategic supplementary classes in smaller groups targeting specific needs in student development.

Community Engagement

An effective Community Engagement (CE) Strategy makes Campuses more accessible to the communities they serve. Joint projects and use of Institutional infrastructure for CE purposes are encouraged.

Quality Assurance

Nationally managed assessments, examinations and external moderation ensures consistency and uniformity of standards in all our campuses throughout South Africa.

Quality Council on Trade & Occupations (QCTO)

The Skills Development landscape is currently under review with the formation of the Quality Council on Trade & Occupations. The institution is keeping abreast with all developments in this regard.

Internet Enabled Libraries

Access to internet enabled libraries and laboratories, that offer full text electronic database downloads for teaching and learning purposes, are available to learners.

Administrative Systems

The implementation of the Integrated Campus Administration System (ICAS) has contributed to the development of the Institution’s MIS and has facilitated integration into the HEQCIS, Umalusi and SETA MIS eventually working its way to the NLRD.

Campus Social Life

All campuses have staff responsible for work integrated learning, social and cultural activities and community engagement programmes. Social Networks using Wi-Fi connectivity and Tablet PC’s are encouraged and freely available at all campuses.

Benchmarking

An active benchmarking strategy of our key processes, programmes and curricula with other private, public, national, international and trade organizations is carried out in the constant pursuit of excellence and continued improvement.

Academic Infrastructure

The Institution has state of the art facilities and highly qualified academic and support staff including a mix of foreign academic professionals who also provide rare and critical skills.

Employment and Skills Development Agency (ESDA)

The Department of Higher Education/Labour has awarded the status of an Employment and Skills Development Agency (ESDA) to the Institution in all nine provinces.

Articulation of Qualification

The Institution’s qualifications are positioned on the National Qualification Framework (NQF) and certain qualifications are also positioned on the new HEQSF. All qualifications have an occupational content and allow for vertical and horizontal articulation.

Library and e-Library Resources

Richfield possesses a substantial academic library collection of over 107 000 textbooks across its 30 libraries nationally. The Library subscribes to an increasing number of electronic journals (e-journals) and electronic books (e-Books) from leading publishers such as Elsevier- Science Direct, Emerald Swets, and EdITLib.

Distance Learning

Distance Learning through Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology’s Distance Learning has the benefit of allowing you to develop your career without having to leave employment, or to pursue a qualification when family or other personal commitments make full time study on campus impractical.

Distance learning now enjoys a key role in many of the world’s higher education systems and it is likely to expand in the future as new ways of teaching and studying which make use of new technologies, especially in the digital divide, become available. As an institution committed to Digital Information Technology (DIT) Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology is becoming the centre for “mLearning” and is committed to the further development of flexible learning systems.

In distance learning, students acquire course knowledge principally through their study of texts and other electronic media such as a: PC, tablet, laptop or cellphone. They are assessed in much the same way as for other modes of learning. There is often provision for some face-to-face tuition, although this is not as substantial as it is in conventional full-time learning. Instead, there is a more intensive use of communications such as email, Skype, YouTube and other audio-visual media.

Work Integrated Learning

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) refers to the real-life or simulated work experience afforded to a learner as part of the fulfilment of his/her programme of study towards a qualification. It includes:

Work Integrated Learning

• Time spent working in industry, commerce and/or the community
• Work-related field trips and
• Work in a simulated or actual environment for an appropriate period of time

The Institution has adopted the Council on Higher Education’s Work Integrated Learning: Good Pratice Guide in implementing Work Integrated Learning. During the period the learner will demonstrate progress towards the achievement of learning outcomes that are embedded within the specific and critical cross-field outcomes of the learner’s programme. Learners are provided with direct and realistic feedback at the workplace about their performance in a way that allows them to improve.

The Aims of WIL include the following:

To enable learners to utilise their work-based learning to supplement the theoretical knowledge

To allow for employer/learner negotiated learning

To permit professional and personal development through WIL

To facilitate upgrading of knowledge and/or skills in a particular area of vocational interest

To provide opportunity for a gradual introduction into the workplace

The focus of our WIL Strategy is on attaining work placement for our learners; their learning in and from the workplace; critical reflection in and on learning; its relevance for them in terms of enhanced skill, knowledge, understanding and potential; its relevance for employers for performance, contribution and output. While lecture room learning is Mainstream method of learning, WIL aims at improving the quality of employer engagement activities through:

• Providing better support for work placements;
• Promoting joint (employer-institutional) curriculum development;
• Supports a more structured collaboration between Seta’s, Public Institutions and other stakeholders such as Professional Bodies.
• Embedding Higher Education into the skills infrastructure, particularly at local level through such initiatives as Work Based Learning Programmes and In-Service Training.

Improving the Institutions capacity to manage market intelligence on skills issues and undertake regular evaluation of employer satisfaction of graduate skills and qualities in-line with our BBA and BSc.

Library & E-Library Resources

Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology possesses a substantial academic library collection of over 60 000 textbooks across its 30 libraries nationally.

The Library subscribes to an increasing number of electronic journals (e-journals) and electronic books (e-Books) from leading publishers such as Elsevier, Swets, and EdITLib.

This vast collection of over 3000 e-Books and e-journals are available to learners and staff online 24/7 via the internet, regardless of the user’s physical location. PC Training and Business College is registered to the African Digital Library. The ADL has a collection of 8714 e-Books consisting of:

• The African digital library collection (3808 titles)
• A publicly assessable collection (4906 titles)

The collection includes a wide variety of subjects ranging from arts, astronomy, mathematics, technology and engineering, medicine and health. As from 2012 learners had access to the eLibrary collection directly from their tablet PC’s. At each site the library has qualified staff to assist learners with their research and general enquiries. The recent rapid growth has seen a heightened emphasis on creating specialised libraries at each new site as well as creating an atmosphere to foster and nurture creative thinking and innovation.

The Library also houses a resource centre which accommodates corporate training material, currently containing 225 DVD materials sourced from Harvard University, Stanford University and Knowledge Resources to enhance skills which will make the transition to employment effortless. Along with this collection, digital materials on 261 courses on Computer and soft skills containing lesson plans, power point slides, tutorials and practice assessments have been purchased from Velsoft.

One of the tasks of managing eLearning will be to take stock of the current approach, and develop a plan for improving the digital academic literacies of our learners. They are highly connected, and collaboration is second nature to them, whether collaboration within formal learning situations or outside of them. One of the key challenges in managing eLearning is to take stock of the current approach and to develop a plan for improving the digital academic literacies of our learners. The following schematic model illustrates digital academic literacies in relation to the academic programme and the type and frequency of interventions.

The Institution has arranged a bulk volume subscription for all its learners with ScienceDirect, which supplies eBooks and eJournals to various research Institutions and Universities throughout the world. Elsevier’s SciVerse integrates the familiar, trusted content from ScienceDirect, Scopus and scientific websites – with the forward-looking community developed applications that enrich and expand content value. By combining peer reviewed content with productivity enhancing applications, SciVerse serves as a vital scientific ecosystem that facilitates collaboration, rewards innovation and accelerates science.

Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology envisages the gradual, sustained migration from hardcopy to electronic versions of all key library resource material, in keeping with our commitment to advanced technology as well as a greener future. Learners are encouraged to explore all available resources and are supported in all aspects of library usage. They are motivated to take their learning to the next level with Richfield as their partner.

Recognition of Prior Learning

What is RPL?

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is the process whereby skills and knowledge, gained by individuals outside formal learning processes, are assessed and granted formal recognition. It is seen as a catalyst for social transformation as it provides the tools whereby candidates of all ages, can gain access to jobs and places of higher education, previously unavailable to them because of their lack of formal education. RPL serves to develop South Africa’s existing human capital thereby strengthening the country’s economy.

Why Should You Consider RPL?

To gain a formal qualification of the skills you acquired in the workplace, in order to secure that much deserved promotion.

To enable you to bridge the gap between informal, non-formal prior learning and formal learning.

To gain access to a higher course of study despite the entrance criteria.

The RPL Process

Prior learning is assessed against the requirements of formal training programmes, in accordance with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).This assessment is carried out by academic specialists in the relevant fields with assistance from trained RPL assessors. Once assessment has been carried out and RPL learners have been declared competent and ready to enter formal training at a certain level, support opportunities are made available to enable them to bridge the gap between non-formal and formal learning and thus to succeed at their chosen lifelong learning paths.