Canvas - Overview (UW-Madison)

This document outlines resources for instructors on how to get started with Canvas at UW-Madison.

Note: Based on feedback from UW-Madison users, Canvas functions best when used with Chrome or Firefox. Safari is not recommended.

Credit-based Courses Available in Canvas

All credit-based courses are available in Canvas and can be accessed at https://canvas.wisc.edu.

For details on the Canvas automated creation schedule each term, refer to Canvas - Automatic Course Creation Schedule. For information on how courses and sections are created, based on the configuration in the Student Information System, refer to Canvas - How Automated Course and Section Creation Works.

Currently DoIT does not remove past Canvas courses or restrict access to instructors to past courses. This policy may be revisited in the future as needs change.

Non-Credit Courses in Canvas

Canvas can be used to deliver non-credit courses. This includes courses in the following areas:

Lifelong learning (enrichment or professional training) courses for external audiences
Employee/Staff onboarding and training courses
Large‐scale training and compliance courses for employees
Large‐scale compliance courses for students

Request a Canvas Course

Canvas sandbox courses are available for those who wish to experiment with Canvas and begin designing courses in the meantime. Requests can be submitted through the Canvas Course Request form.

In addition, you can use the course request form to have a Canvas course created for non-credit delivery purposes.

Traditional, for-credit courses are automatically created and do not require a request. Information on the automatic creation of Course Guide courses in Canvas is available in Canvas - How Automated Course and Section Creation Works.

Canvas Support and Training

Technical support of Canvas at UW-Madison is provided by the DoIT Help Desk. So if you have questions about Canvas, or are experiencing issues with Canvas, the Help Desk is the best resource.

For information on available Canvas training, please see Canvas - Training Resources (UW-Madison). For the latest updates about Canvas, please see the UW-Madison Canvas Information website. We also encourage you to use the UW-Madison Canvas Community.

For general questions about delivering a Lifelong Learning (enrichment or professional training) course for external audiences to Canvas, please contact:

Alan Ng (alan.ng@wisc.edu), Director of Outreach Technology, DCS
Mary Thompson (mary.thompson@wisc.edu), Assistant Dean, DCS

For questions about using Canvas to deliver employee/staff and training courses, large-scale training and compliance courses for employees, and large-scale compliance courses for students, please contact the DoIT Help Desk.

Canvas System Requirements and Supported Browsers

Please see Instructure's guide "What are the basic computer specifications for Canvas?"

Canvas Release Schedule