Online Learning
Questions? Contact Us.
Online Learning
Jacqueline Staley
eLearning Support
jstaley@yvcc.edu
509-574-4827
Kevin Hager
eLearning Support
khager@yvcc.edu
509-574-4791
Online Learning at Yakima Valley College
Canvas is a course management system used by Yakima Valley College that supports online learning and teaching. It allows instructors to post all the information for a course, including grades, assignments, and lectures, online.
Getting started with online learning
Types of Classes at YVC
Canvas provides a password-protected online classroom where students submit work and communicate with the instructor and classmates.
- In-seat: These classes are held in a traditional classroom.
- Enhanced: All course time is in the classroom, but the instructor uses Canvas to enhance the class with online content
- Hybrid: These courses are a mix of traditional in-seat and online time.
- Online: All course time is spent online.
Visit Our Student Success Center to Learn More
Teaching and Learning Center
The TLC is located in Deccio Higher Education Center Room 250 are provides curriculum development, technical training, and course design assistance for YVC faculty and staff.
Please contact elearning@yvcc.edu to schedule a visit to the TLC.
Visit Our TLC Faculty Resources Site
Additional Information
Some classes require proctored exams. You may request an off-campus proctor if you are a student outside of the YVC district. The student off-campus proctor request must be completed and submitted with at least one week's notice to allow processing. If the request is submitted giving less than one week's notice, it cannot be guaranteed that the data can be processed in time for the testing date.
The proctor you select is contacted and must meet the college's testing policy requirements. Public libraries, other college or university testing labs, or private tutoring centers are acceptable proctors. Proctors cannot be anyone closely related to you in any capacity, either friend, family, or employer.
Students within the YVC district, Yakima to Grandview, must use the YVC testing labs to take proctored exams. Students living in Ellensburg can test at the Ellensburg Library for a small fee and should use the Off-Campus Proctor Request Form. All requests for proctors due to disabilities must contact the Disability Support Services Office to process a proctor.
Complete the Off-campus Proctor Request Form, filling in all data except the proctor information. The form must be presented to the chosen proctor for their information and signature. Please return the form by scanning it, attaching it to an email, and submitting it to jstaley@yvcc.edu. Mailed forms are not accepted.
eTutoring Services
Online tutors are available to help currently enrolled Yakima Valley College students with various subjects, including writing, physics, chemistry, world languages, biology, math, and many more.
There are three ways students can use eTutoring:
A synchronous tutoring session via Zoom. Students meet with the tutor on a first-come-first-served basis. After logging in, students can view tutor schedules by subject area.
An asynchronous option where students can post a question and a tutor will respond, generally within 24-48 hours. This works best for quick questions that do not require an extended conversation.
An asynchronous option where students can upload a draft of their paper, along with specific questions and concerns. A tutor will provide written feedback (a summary letter and comments embedded in the draft), usually within 24-48 hours.
Links to relevant resources are also provided. The Live Writing Lab is a separate service from the YVC Writing Center.
How To Access eTutoring
The easiest way to access eTutoring is to log in directly from Canvas. Just click on the eTutoring link on the left-hand side of your Canvas course or click the button below.
Please contact Tutoring Services if you have questions or need login assistance.
Yakima Valley College is not authorized to serve students residing and attending distance learning classes in the following states:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arkansas
- District of Columbia
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Applications from students from these states for fully online educational purposes will be cancelled.
Some take-home tests may require Respondus Lockdown Browser. If you are taking a test using Respondus, you must first download the browser to your computer. After successfully downloading the browser, students access tests by clicking the Respondus icon installed on their desktop. Use the same login and password that is used for Canvas. The directions are a little different for MAC and Chromebook users. Please view full directions and the download link at Respondus LockDown Browser.
Periodically, there are updates to the browser. We recommend students access the browser at the start of each quarter to ensure it works. If there are browser problems, uninstall and reinstall using the link above. Email Jackie Staley if the reinstall does not resolve the issues.
Canvas supports the most current two versions of the following browsers
- Chrome
- Edge
- Firefox
- Safari
Troubleshooting Browser Issues
If your pages are not loading correctly, try clearing the browser cache (Google clear cache in any search engine for your browser) and rebooting your computer. In most cases, this simple procedure clears up your issues. However, we have found that the two browsers with the smallest number of issues within Canvas are Chrome and Firefox. Some of the most common issues encountered when using the other browsers are:
- Safari blocks images in tests
- Edge blocks some content without notifying the user that it blocked content
Below are links to guides for students using mobile devices
Questions? Contact Us.
Online Learning
Jacqueline Staley
eLearning Support
jstaley@yvcc.edu
509-574-4827
Kevin Hager
eLearning Support
khager@yvcc.edu
509-574-4791