Canvas: Overview & Support Options
Online Learning
To begin (or to build upon) your learning of Canvas, as a learning management system, we present four training avenues. Review and select the one that best meets your needs.
Learn@UW-Madison has developed and organized a substantial amount of training material within this web content. This is our attempt to give you on-demand training that is modular enough to meet you were you are, and (where appropriate) specific to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Canvas installation
This option is ideal for beginners, as well as for those who are interested in refreshing or building up their existing knowledge.
Canvas Guides Links to an external site. (by Instructure)
Links to an external site.These Canvas Guides are the vendor-sponsored training documents for Canvas. This is a massive warehouse of information. Ideally, every function, feature and option in Canvas should have at least one corresponding Canvas Guide. (These Canvas Guides are referenced heavily in the earlier section titled "Canvas: Training - Starting Point".)
Be mindful, these vendor-sponsored documents will not inform you of UW-specific issues or configurations.
In May 2020, Learn@UW-Madison delivered several remote-learning training sessions. We recorded those sessions -- 10 sessions in all -- and compiled them into a Learn@UW-Madison Training channel in Kaltura Mediaspace (link above).
Throughout the academic year, Learn@UW-Madison offers live training sessions to the . During the COVID season, this training is happening remotely. To attend any of our several sessions, refer to the DoIT AT Events Calendar. Courses are usually posted at least one month before they are offered. Typically, we offer these sessions the two weeks after spring semester concludes, the two weeks before the fall semester commences, and the two weeks before spring semester commences.
Why use Canvas?
Canvas is the centrally supported learning management system (LMS) for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This LMS can support online, face-to-face and hybrid course models. It contains robust content-delivery and communication tools, assignment submission options, and many other features designed to improve teaching and learning.
You can turn course tools on and off so that the tools available in your course are specifically tailored to your pedagogy and course materials.
For more information about key features, instructional uses and integrations, visit the Canvas web page on DoIT Academic Technology’s website.
How do I get help?
The DoIT Help Desk provides instructors, staff and students with free tech support and troubleshooting help by phone at 608.264.4357, email at help@doit.wisc.edu and chat at helpdesk.wisc.edu. In-person support is also available at the DoIT Help Desk service desk in the Computer Sciences building. Visit helpdesk.wisc.edu for hours and more information. Instructors and instructional staff can also request a consultation through the DoIT Help Desk.
For additional support online, visit the Learn@UW-Madison Canvas KnowledgeBase, which offers helpful documents for instructors, course owners and students. In addition, the Canvas Community Links to an external site. provides documentation from Instructure on how to use Canvas and a forum to ask questions and get answers on Canvas.
Technical Support & Consultation Requests
DoIT Help Desk • helpdesk.wisc.edu • help@doit.wisc.edu • (608) 264-4357
Additional Resources Online
Learn@UW Website with Guides & More Information • at.doit.wisc.edu/learn-uw
Learn@UW KnowledgeBase • kb.wisc.edu/luwmad