Canvas

Canvas has a robust technical support service that includes 24 / 7 / 365 toll-free hotline and live online chat interactions.  Please use this for all Canvas questions.

Getting Started

Are you a new Canvas Instructor?  Start out with the guides below to get started!

• Canvas Getting Started (Whitewater Campus)
• Canvas Getting Started (Rock Campus)

Online Training Courses

Self-paced asynchronous online training is available for both staff and students.

• Instructor Training
• Student Training

Canvas Hands-On Introduction (Recorded Workshop)

In Person Training

Occasionally face-to face trainings and online are available for instructors.  To see if there are currently any trainings available that might meet your schedule, please check the UW-Whitewater sign-up tool.

Documentation and Guides

The Canvas Community has a large number of guides available for accomplishing various tasks.

• Instructor Canvas Guides
• Student Canvas Guides

Migrating D2L Content

Import your D2L Course Components into Canvas

Course Complexity App

This application is designed to provide you an estimate on how well your Desire2Learn course will migrate into Canvas.  These estimates were developed based on testing performed by the UW-System Migration team along with feedback from UW-Madison.

To access the application, login with your Net-ID and Password at: http://dl.uwsa.edu.

Canvas Tool Relationship Diagram

Our friends at UW-Oshkosh and UW-Superior put together this diagram to help explain the way the commonly used tools are related to each other.  View Canvas Tool Relationship Diagram.

Course Content Migration FAQ

As part of our initial course content migration testing, we have developed an FAQ around some of the general questions that came up in our testing.  View Course Content Migration FAQ.

We currently have Canvas External Tools in place for the following items:

What is an External Tool?

Applications and websites can integrate into Canvas using either an API (Application Program Interface) or LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability) based integration.  Integrations are designed to add additional features or added value into your courses.

How do I request a new Integration?

Please contact Canvas Support.  Mention the name of the tool that you would like to request, and tell Canvas support to escalate that to a Field Admin for consideration.

Do I still have to request a new Integration if I am already using the software product?

If the product you are using is not on the available list above, you will need to request a new integration.  Sometimes textbook vendors and sales reps will grant you direct access to their software.  Even though you already have access, we will still need to go through the approval and vetting process before setting up the Canvas integration.

How long will it take for the Integration to be set up?

It typically takes between 2 and 6 weeks to setup a new integration that is not on the approved list above.  The time varies pending the amount of time it takes to review the contracts and make adjustments.

Beware of what textbook vendors and sales reps tell you.  The process requires various approvals and vetting of the integration.  So while they may sell it as an easy and quick integration, there are a number of things that we have to do on the backend before we can configure the integration in a production environment.  Maintaining a stable environment for Canvas and protecting user data is our top priority.

Instructure’s Canvas platform provides the foundation for our UW System Digital Learning Environment (DLE), a federated, online environment that includes services and tools purposefully brought together to support the needs of teaching and learning in all modes (i.e., face-to-face, blended/hybrid, and fully-online).  The DLE challenges the traditional role of an LMS as “the” platform for managing course documents, quizzes, videos, and the like.  By shifting our perspective from an LMS-based content platform, to a “digital environment” that creates information we can act upon, UW System can then realize the many benefits of an interoperable suite of services and tools that allow us to maximize student access and success.

For more information on the UW-System Vision see: Digital Learning Environment Transformation Project.

UW-Whitewater has three “instances” of Canvas, which we have deployed to meet specific use cases listed below.  Using the instances, we are able to better organize and meet the needs of the UW-Whitewater campus.  Regardless of what instance your course is on, there will be no visible change for the user – you can always access all of these courses by logging in at http://www.uww.edu/canvas.