Where can I find resources on Canvas, Canvas Commons, Canvas Help, and the Canvas Training Services Portal?

Overview

Canvas offers a number of built-in tools to support effective course design and teaching. Through Canvas Commons, you can access and import UIC’s accessible course template, along with other shared teaching resources. The Help menu provides quick access to training, guides, and live support, while the Training Services Portal offers on-demand courses and webinars to help you get the most out of Canvas.

Table of Contents

Canvas Commons 

Canvas Commons is a shared learning object repository within Canvas that allows instructors to find, import, and share course materials—such as modules, pages, assignments, quizzes, and even entire courses—across UIC or the broader Canvas community. Faculty can import ready-to-use content, including the UIC Accessible Course Template, a prebuilt, WCAG-aligned structure that supports accessibility and design standards. Instructors can also share their own resources for others to use and adapt, filtering by institution, subject, or license type.

How to Access Canvas

To access Canvas Commons:

  1. Select Commons (step 1) from the global navigation menu. If prompted, authorize access.
  2. Use the search bar (step 2) to find materials—such as the UIC Accessible Course Template.
  3. Select on the title (step 3) to open the Commons material.

Screen shot with Commons and a "1", the Search Bar and a "2", and Course with a number 3 to draw attention to buttons.

 

  1. Next, select Import/Download (step 4), which opens a box with all your courses in Canvas.
  2. Select the course where you want the content added (step 5).
  3. Select import into course (step 6). Once imported, the content will appear in your Canvas course modules, ready for you to customize.
  4. If you prefer to download the materials, select download here (step 7).

Screenshot with highlighting 4.) Import/Download button, 5.) GC.510.source. mspiegel, 6.) Import into Course and 7.) Download button highlighted to draw attention.

Canvas Help

The Canvas Help menu connects you to a variety of support options and resources directly within Canvas. From here, you can search the Canvas Guides for step-by-step instructions, start a live chat or call the Canvas Support Hotline, and report a problem if something isn’t working as expected. You can also get advice from the Canvas Community, submit a feature idea, or review the latest release and deploy notes to stay updated on new features and improvements. To access, select the Help menu in the Canvas Global Navigation.
 

Screen shot with Help Button highlighted to draw attention to it

Canvas Training Services Portal

In addition to the training sessions offered by Instructure and the LTS learning design team, UIC faculty and staff have access to self-paced and on-demand learning through the Canvas Training Services Portal, which offers a range of courses and webinars designed to deepen your knowledge of Canvas and related tools.

To access the Canvas Training Services Portal,

  1. Open the Help menu (step 1) in the Canvas Global Navigation.
  2. Select Training Services Portal (step 2).

Screenshot with a "1" and Help Button highlighted and the a "2" next to Training Services Portal highlighted

 

  1. You’ll then be prompted to authorize your account (step 3).

Screen shot of Training Portal with a "3" and the Authorize button highlighted.

 

  1. Once inside the portal, you can explore a variety of courses and webinars. The All tab (A) displays every available offering, while the Higher Education tab (B) highlights sessions tailored specifically for colleges and universities. The Instructure Learning Platforms tab (C) features training on Instructure’s suite of educational tools—including Canvas LMS, Canvas Studio, Canvas Catalog, Canvas Credentials,the Partner Integrations tab (D) includes offerings for external tools that integrate with Canvas. You can search for a specific topic (E) or use filters (F) to narrow offerings by type, duration, or tag.

    Screenshot with All, Higher Education, Instructure Learning Platforms, Partner Integrations, Search Bar and Filter buttons highlighted.
  2. When you find a course or webinar of interest, select Enroll Now to register.
    Cavas Credentials Training Course home page with Enroll Now button

Enrolled courses appear under your In Progress section within the training portal, where you can click Continue to open and resume your training.

Screen shot of In Progress section highlighted to draw attention to it.

These built-in Canvas resources are designed to make teaching easier and more effective—so take a few minutes to explore, experiment, and discover new ways to elevate your courses at UIC.

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