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Introduction to Canvas Apps with Power Apps
Intimidated by building applications? Power Apps is your solution! No coding skills needed. Leverage your existing skills to become a Citizen Developer. Watch this course and start building your own apps confidently!
Does the idea of building your own applications sound intimidating? Worry no more because Power Apps is here! With Power Apps you don’t have to be an expert developer. Instead, you will take existing skills you already have from traditional business applications like Excel and PowerPoint to become a Citizen Developer. After watching this course you will be eager and ready to take charge of building your own business applications right away!
Course Outline ( Free Preview)
Module 01 - Power Apps Foundations, Environments, Licensing, and Connections
Helen starts by grounding you in what Canvas Apps are and why Power Apps is such a flexible tool for building business apps without heavy coding. You’ll learn the basics of how Power Apps fits into the Power Platform, what environments are for, how licensing impacts what you can build, and how connections work to safely access your data. This module gives you the foundational context you need so the rest of the course feels coherent and predictable as you begin building.
Module 02 - Power Apps Studio Tour and Building Your First Gallery
Get comfortable inside Power Apps Studio and start building immediately. Helen walks you through the interface, key menus, and how the design experience flows from layout to logic. You’ll then create a basic gallery, one of the most common building blocks in canvas apps, and learn how galleries display records in a clean, scrollable list that users can interact with.
Module 03 - Power FX Basics, Sorting, and Filtering26 min.
Learn the essentials of Power FX, the formula language behind Canvas Apps, in a way that feels practical and approachable. Helen shows how to write simple formulas, reference controls, and shape what users see by sorting and filtering a gallery. By the end, you’ll be able to add basic interactivity, letting users find what they need faster and making your app feel more polished.
Module 04 - UX Design Tips and Conditional Logic39 min.
This module focuses on making your app look and behave like a real product. Helen shares UX design tips that improve clarity and reduce user friction, then introduces conditional logic to control behavior based on what’s happening in the app. You’ll learn how to show or hide elements, adjust actions based on conditions, and create an experience that responds intelligently to user choices.
Module 05 - Working with Data, Deleting Records, Confirmations, and Variables26 min.
Now you’ll start working with real data changes inside your app. Helen shows how to delete records safely, then adds a confirmation pop-up pattern so users don’t remove data by accident. You’ll also learn how variables help you store values and control app behavior across screens and actions, making your app logic cleaner and easier to manage.
Module 06 - Form Controls, Navigation, and Editing Data101 min.
Learn how to build structured data entry experiences using forms and controls. Helen walks through common form patterns like creating and editing records, auto-populating fields, submitting changes, and resetting inputs. You’ll also add screen navigation so users can move smoothly through the app, creating a workflow that feels natural, from list views to detail/edit screens.
Module 07 - Working With Collections20 min.
Add a real-world usability feature, preset comments users can select quickly instead of typing the same messages repeatedly. Helen shows how to collect these selections, store them cleanly, and clear them when needed so the app stays organized. This module introduces patterns you can reuse anytime you need quick selections, notes, or standardized input options.
Module 08 - Patch Function, Power Automate Integration, Approvals, and Running Flows53 min.
Take your app beyond basic forms by using Patch for more flexible data updates and more control over what gets written to your data source. Then you’ll integrate Power Automate to trigger automations from inside your app, including an approval-style workflow. Helen demonstrates how to run flows, pass values, and handle results so your canvas app can connect to real business processes.
Module 09 - Version Control and Exporting11 min.
Wrap up by learning how to protect your work and move it between environments. Helen covers version control concepts in a practical way, along with exporting your app so it can be shared, backed up, or deployed elsewhere. You’ll finish with a clearer understanding of how to manage your app as a real solution, not just a one-off build.
Helen Devlin is a Jacksonville native who graduated from the University of North Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education in 2016. After 9 years of teaching varying grades (K-5) in Florida and Tennessee, she joined the Pragmatic Works team as a Power Platform Trainer. As a trainer at Pragmatic Works, her primary goal is to help individuals gain confidence in using the Power Platform. While not in the office, she enjoys coffee, brunch, local parks, and spending time with her family.
To follow along in this course you must sign up for an account at https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/ using a school or work email address.
You may sign up for a trial account and this will include everything you need for this course.
**This class will be taught using the Power Apps Development tool found at:**
- https://make.powerapps.com (Commercial Use)
- https://make.gov.powerapps.us (GCC Customers)
- https://make.high.powerapps.us (GCC High Customers)
- https://make.apps.appsplatform.us (DoD Customers)
