Canvas
MTSU fully launched Canvas as our learning management system (LMS) in Summer 2026. To learn more, visit the Canvas Project site, which includes a timeline and other news and information. Visit this faculty resource page about how to get started now learning and using Canvas.
Canvas Trainings at MTSU
MTSU trainings for Canvas began in October 2025. Most training sessions are led by Helen Wilson of Instructure (the company that owns Canvas) with support from the Center for Teaching and Mentoring, the Information Technology Division (ITD), and MTSU Online. Most Canvas training sessions for Spring 2026 are on Zoom. Representatives from ITD and MTSU Online are available during the trainings to answer questions and provide additional support.
Upcoming Canvas Trainings
| Date & Location | Session | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 10 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Zoom Link | Fast, Flavorful FEEDBACK in Canvas TACO Tuesday (Tech and Canvas Offerings) | From comments to rubrics, discover the ingredients for better feedback in less time. This session will highlight features such as SpeedGrader, annotation tools, media comments, and rubrics that can save time while enhancing student learning. Presenter – Karen Hein, MTSU Online |
| Nov. 11 9:00 – 10:00 am Zoom Link | Canvas Q&A with Helen Wilson | Have a question about Canvas? Need support? Helen Wilson along with MTSU’s Canvas Support and Training Team are available online to answer questions and provide advice for navigating Canvas. |
| Nov. 12 12:30-1:30 pm Zoom link | Engage Them! Canvas Engagement: Keep Students Connected MTSU Online Jumpstart Agenda | This Jumpstart Beyond the Basics session helps instructors build a robust student communication and engagement strategy. Participants will learn best practices for managing core tools like Announcements, Inbox messages, and Ungraded Discussions. The session also covers how to monitor student progress using Course Analytics to track weekly activity and leverage the “Message Students Who” feature for targeted, proactive support. Hands-on practice time will be provided throughout the session. Presenter – Helen Wilson |
| Nov. 17 8:30 – 9:30 am Zoom Link | Add the Guacamole: Extra Credit in Canvas TACO Tuesday (Tech and Canvas Offerings) | Learn the recipes for building extra credit opportunities that work for you and your students. This session will focus on the ways to assign Extra Credit in Canvas, followed by a Q&A period. Presenter – Lauren Neal, MTSU ITD |
| Nov. 19 2:30 – 3:30 pm Zoom Link | Canvas Q&A with Helen Wilson | Have a question about Canvas? Need support? Helen Wilson along with MTSU’s Canvas Support and Training Team are available online to answer questions and provide advice for navigating Canvas. |
| Nov. 23 1:30 – 2:30 pm Zoom Link | Canvas Q&A with Helen Wilson | Have a question about Canvas? Need support? Helen Wilson along with MTSU’s Canvas Support and Training Team are available online to answer questions and provide advice for navigating Canvas. |
| Nov. 24 11:30 am – 12:30 pm Zoom Link | Salsa and Clips: Getting Your Videos from D2L/Panopto into Canvas Studio TACO Tuesday (Tech and Canvas Offerings) | Have videos living in D2L or Panopto? Join us for a quick walkthrough of the process for locating, downloading, and moving your existing video content into Canvas Studio. We’ll explore how Canvas Studio can serve as your media library for storing, organizing, and sharing videos within your courses. After the overview, stay for a live Q&A to get answers to your Canvas Studio migration and video management questions. Presenter – Cheri Wolfe, MTSU ITD |
| Date & Location | Session | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dec. 2 10:30 -11:30 am Zoom Link | Canvas Q&A with Helen Wilson | Have a question about Canvas? Need support? Helen Wilson along with MTSU’s Canvas Support and Training Team are available online to answer questions and provide advice for navigating Canvas. |
| Dec. 3 8:00 – 10:00 am and 12:30 – 2:30 pm LIB 348 and Zoom | D2L’s Last Dance | December 31 marks the final curtain call for D2L at MTSU. Before the music stops, join us for a hands-on work session to preserve your course materials, files, assessments, and resources. Learn what will disappear, what can be archived, and how to create a personal backup before D2L takes its final bow. NOTE: In-person attendees should bring a laptop to work on. |
| Dec. 8 9:30 – 10:30 am Zoom Link | Canvas Q&A with Helen Wilson | Have a question about Canvas? Need support? Helen Wilson along with MTSU’s Canvas Support and Training Team are available online to answer questions and provide advice for navigating Canvas. |
| Date & Location | Session | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 13 9 am – 3 pm LIB 264A and Zoom Registration coming soon Please note: Zoom participants will be MUTED throughout. Zoom participants can ask questions via the Zoom chat. | Canvas Intensive | The Center for Teaching and Mentoring is partnering with MTSU Online and ITD to offer a Canvas Intensive Wednesday, January 13 and Thursday, January 14. Our Canvas Intensive will assist faculty in preparing their courses for spring 2027 and beyond. All session are offered on Zoom and in LIB 264A. Wednesday, January 13 Schedule: 9:00-9:50 am – Course Design 101 (LIB 264A Presenter: Karen Hein | Zoom Presenters: Hangmin Zhang and Tara Perrin) 10:00-10:50 am – Canvas Studio (LIB 264A Presenter: Cheri Wolfe | Zoom Presenters: Hangmin Zhang and Tara Perrin) 11:00-11:50 am – SpeedGrader (LIB 264A Presenter: Lauren Neal| Zoom Presenters: Hangmin Zhang and Tara Perrin) 12:00-1:00 pm – Lunch (on your own) 1:00-1:50 pm – Course Design 201 (LIB 264A Presenter: Karen Hein | Zoom Presenters: Hangmin Zhang and Tara Perrin) 2:00-2:50 pm – New Quizzes (LIB 264A Presenter: Cheri Wolfe | Zoom Presenters: Hangmin Zhang and Tara Perrin) 3:00-3:50 pm – Rubrics (LIB 264A Presenter: Lauren Neal | Zoom Presenters: Hangmin Zhang and Tara Perrin) Need some focused work time? A Quiet Room will be available on Wednesday, Jan. 13, for faculty to use between sessions or in place of attending a session that is not relevant to their current needs. |
| Jan. 14 9 am – 12 pm LIB 264A and Zoom Registration coming soon Please note: Zoom participants will be MUTED throughout. Zoom participants can ask questions via the Zoom chat. | Canvas Intensive | The Center for Teaching and Mentoring is partnering with MTSU Online and ITD to offer a Canvas Intensive Wednesday, January 13 and Thursday, January 14. Our Canvas Intensive will assist faculty in preparing their courses for spring 2027 and beyond. Thursday, January 14 Schedule: 9:00-9:50 am – Q&A 10:00-10:50 am – Q&A |
Previous Canvas Trainings
Listed in alphabetical order. Click to view video. Video length is approximate.
- Accessibility (60 minutes)
- Accessibility – Canvas Intensive (60 minutes)
- Accessibility Checker (30 minutes)
- Add the Guacamole: Extra Credit in Canvas – TACO Tuesday (15 minutes)
- Assignments – Canvas Intensive (60 minutes)
- Assignments and Discussions (60 minutes)
- Beautifying Your Canvas Course (45 minutes)
- Canvas Basics (90 minutes)
- Canvas Discussions Jumpstart (60 minutes)
- Canvas Essentials (60 minutes)
- Canvas Essentials, Modules, Pages Jumpstart (60 minutes)
- Canvas First Look (90 minutes)
- Canvas for Math and Science (90 minutes)
- Canvas Studio (90 minutes)
- Canvas Studio – Canvas Intensive (60 minutes)
- Course Communication Tools – Canvas Intensive (60 minutes)
- Course Data and Analytics (90 minutes)
- Course Design Considerations (90 minutes)
- Course Design Considerations – Canvas Intensive (60 minutes)
- Course Settings and Sharing – Canvas Intensive (45 minutes)
- Course Queso: The Essential Ingredients for Canvas Setup – TACO Tuesday (15 minutes)
- Discussions – Canvas Intensive (60 minutes)
- Enhanced Rubrics (45 minutes)
- Enhanced Rubrics – Canvas Intensive (60 minutes)
- Extra Cheese: More About Your Gradebook – TACO Tuesday (15 minutes)
- Getting Caught Up with Canvas (60 minutes)
- Grading and Feedback / Gradebook and SpeedGrader (60 minutes)
- Grading and Feedback – Canvas Intensive (60 minutes)
- Gradebook Guacamole – TACO Tuesday (5 minutes)
- Group Work and Collaboration (60 minutes)
- Group Work and Collaboration – Canvas Intensive (60 minutes)
- Let’s TACO Bout it: Canvas Discussions – TACO Tuesday (30 minutes)
- Mobile Apps – Canvas Intensive (20 minutes)
- Mobile Apps: Teacher & Student App (60 minutes)
- Modules – Canvas Intensive (60 minutes)
- Modules and Course Communication (60 minutes)
- New Quizzes Essentials (60 minutes)
- Pages and Rich Content Editor (60 minutes)
- Pages and Rich Content Editor – Canvas Intensive (45 minutes)
- Performance-Based Teaching (90 minutes)
- Quiz Quesadillas: Building Better Quizzes – TACO Tuesday (20 minutes)
- Quizzes – Canvas Intensive (90 minutes)
- RUBRIC Rellenos: Stuffing Assessments with Clear Expectations – TACO Tuesday (10 minutes)
- SpeedGrader Street Tacos: Quick and Efficient Grading – TACO Tuesday (15 minutes)
- Studio Salsa: Spicing Up Your Videos in Canvas (25 minutes)
- Studio Today, Play TAMALE (15 minutes)
- The HOME Enchilada: Your Home Page – TACO Tuesday (20 minutes)
- What’s at STEAK: Setting up your Gradebook – (20 minutes)
Canvas Champions
| Name & Office Hours | College | |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Abolins Wednesdays 12:40 – 1:40 pm In person in DSB 217 | mark.abolins@mtsu.edu | College of Basic and Applied Sciences |
| Jenn Caputo Thursdays 10:15 – 11:15 am Zoom | jenn.caputo@mtsu.edu | College of Behavioral and Health Sciences |
| Bonnie Barksdale Tuesdays 1:00-2:00 pm (and by appointment) In person in COE 335 or on Zoom | bonnie.barksdale@mtsu.edu | College of Education |
| Eric Detweiler Wednesdays 3:30 – 4:30 pm In person in Peck Hall (PH), Room 323A Zoom by appointment only | eric.detweiler@mtsu.edu | College of Liberal Arts |
| Michelle Conceison By appointment Make an appointment. | michelle.conceison@mtsu.edu | Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment |
| Amy Harris Mondays 10:00 – 11:00 am In person in Business & Aerospace Building (BAS), Room N357 Make an appointment for another time. | amy.harris@mtsu.edu | Jennings A. Jones College of Business |
| Holly Zolt Mondays and Wednesdays 11:30 – 12:00 pm In person in Rutledge Hall, Room 319 | holly.zolt@mtsu.edu | University College |
