Getting Started with Canvas at UMD
New to Canvas? Do you need to update your Canvas course for Spring 2026? The University of Minnesota offers many on-demand and self-paced courses and web resources.
You can also partner with an UMD Academic Technologist or Instructional Designer to update your course. Review all of our support options below!
Canvas Essentials Microcourse (Self-paced resources)
Get acquainted with Canvas. Instructors new to Canvas can take the self-paced, Canvas Essentials Microcourse.
Enroll in Canvas Essentials via TrainingHub
- Login with your InternetID [email protected]
- Find the Spring 2026 section and
- Click the green Enroll in Course button.
After enrolling, it will take several minutes to get access to Canvas. Refresh the Canvas Essential Microcourse Training Hub page, then you should see a "Launch the Canvas Course" button.
Canvas Guides
- Canvas: Get Started with Canvas is a starting point for faculty and staff who need to develop a course in Canvas.
- Canvas: Create and Organize Content takes you through the basic process of building a Canvas course site. Participants will learn about creating and linking content, building assessments, choosing internal settings, and publication.
- UMD Start of the Semester Checklist for Canvas is a concise, quick overview of the steps needed to go from a blank shell to a live published course
- Check Teaching Support for the latest events.
UMD Academic Technology Support
Reach out to UMD’s Academic Technology and Course Design support and service for Canvas and more.
- ITSS Academic Technology hosts Zoom Drop-In Sessions at the beginning of the semester and throughout the academic year. Faculty can ask questions and share their ideas related to the technologies for teaching and learning. We cover Canvas basics, such as:
- exploring the interface
- setting up course navigation and home pages
- using the gradebook feature
- building assessments, videos lessons, quizzes and discussions
- Academic Technology Support Appointments: Schedule an Academic Technology Appointment to explore how to use Canvas or other academic technologies.
- Course Design Consultations: Request a course design consultation to plan, organize, design, re-design, or incorporate multimedia into courses.