Last updated on July 21, 2025
Need help? Simply put, that’s what we are here for. CTLD is the one stop shop for all of your teaching and learning needs. Staying up to date on the various instructional techniques, theories, tools, technology, and best practices is an important aspect of being an effective educator.
Looking for help setting up your course before the start of the semester? Wondering how to develop a sense of community through your instruction? Want to learn how to copy a course over to a new Sandbox? We have got you covered for all of this and much more.
The Center for Teaching, Learning and Design’s staff and Ready website are here to help answer those questions and more! We offer live support, both in-person and online, with instructional design support specialists who are ready to answer your pedagogical and technical questions.
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Let’s walk through it together
Drop-in Support
CTLD’s live, drop-in support is here to help you with any questions you might have about using Canvas, Teams, YuJa, or other software you might use for online teaching. One of our instructional design support specialists will help you resolve the issue or, if your problem is covered by another department, get you in touch with someone who can help.
- Drop-in support is available from 10 am to 3 pm, Monday through Friday (school holidays excepted).
- You can access drop-in support online via Teams or in-person in Room 325 in the Administration Building. You can find a link to the virtual drop-in support meeting at ready.msudenver.edu/immediate-support.
- We can best assist you when we can see exactly what you’re doing, so be prepared to share your screen or bring your laptop in person, if possible.
- CTLD covers a wide range of basic to advanced teaching and learning topics. However, if you are looking for basic technical support (such as help resetting your password, issues with your computer, or trouble logging into Canvas), you can find support through Information Technology Services.
- Our support offerings go beyond just technical “how-to” types of topics, and we are happy to help you with specific pedagogical strategies and best practices as well.
- Even if you are not exactly sure what kind of help you need, contacting us can be an excellent first step. We are here to help provide clarity and can connect you with resources you may not even be aware of!
Ready Website
The Ready website (ready.msudenver.edu) is a huge collection of tutorials, FAQs, and “Spotlight” articles for all sorts of online teaching systems and strategies. Most of the content is centered on the software MSU Denver instructors use most, like Canvas, Teams, and YuJa.
- When you arrive at Ready, you’ll have some different options along the top of the page for where you want to go, like tutorials, FAQs, Spotlights, and drop-in support.
- You can search by a keyword or phrase by clicking the magnifying glass icon in the top right-hand corner. For example, you could type in “delete a module” to find any content we’ve made related to that topic.
- You can browse our collection of tutorials by clicking Tutorials at the top of the page and then choosing one of the categories the tutorials are organized into. For example, the Ready, Set, Go tutorials include introductory content that will get you familiar with the basic tools for online teaching.
- FAQs include some common issues instructors run into and potential solutions. You can check here if you have a really simple question that wouldn’t need a tutorial made to answer it.
- Canvas Spotlights are more in-depth looks at online learning techniques than the tutorials. They are published in MSU Denver’s Early Bird newsletter and you can find a repository of them on Ready. If you want a deep dive into a topic, take a look at the Spotlights.
SMART Program – Coming Soon!
The CTLD SMART Program (Self-paced Modular Approach to Redefining Teaching) is launching soon as our new faculty training initiative. SMART is a self-paced, fully online program designed to help MSU Denver instructors strengthen their teaching and course design skills across a wide range of topics, from Canvas fundamentals to inclusive engagement strategies.
Unlike traditional live training sessions, SMART allows you to complete modules on your schedule while still receiving real feedback and support from instructional design experts. Each module takes about an hour and includes actionable tasks that can be applied directly to your own courses.
SMART replaces our former Rapid Ready Trainings and is designed to serve a broader range of faculty needs with greater flexibility, deeper application, and optional service incentives for sponsored participants.
Interested? Check the SMART Program webpage for launch updates and sign-up details.