Introduction to Widgets

Widgets are interactive learning objects. Access our growing library of widget types (templates) and use our WYSIWYG editor and previewer to quickly build engaging, effective learning objects.

• General Features
• Types of Widgets
• Distribution Options
• Creating a new widget from the Content Manager
• Adding a new or existing widget to a Course

General Features

• All widgets are responsive.
• All widgets can have customizable themes including fonts, colors, buttons, border radiuses, feedback modals, response styles, etc.
• All inputs are WYSIWYG with a real-time preview of the widget.
• All widgets are stored as independent objects in the Content Manager and may be downloaded as the raw data file (.zip) or as a SCORM package (1.2 and 2004).
• All assessments templates have customizable feedback, hint, and summary options.
• All assessments have configurable settings for randomization of questions or answers, number of question attempts, number of assessment attempts, and response type.

Types of Widgets

There are three categories of widgets. Each widget template can be used to serve a different pedagogical purpose:

• Assessment: True/False, Multiple Choice, Multi-Select, Short Answer, Fill in the Blank, Matching, Mixed Assessment, and Video Assessment
• Activity: Annotated Video, Flashcard, and Hotspot
• Presentation: Gallery, Tabs, and Accordion

 See also: Learn more about each of Knowbly's Widget Templates.

Distribution Options

• Widgets can be downloaded as a web standard or SCORM package then published stand-alone or added to a course.
• You may also publish to an embed link to add the widget via a link or an iframe to your existing content hosted elsewhere.

See also: Learn more about Publishing Widgets.

Getting Started 

There are two ways you might get started with widgets

1. Creating a new widget from the Content Manager
2. Adding a new or existing widget to a Course

Creating a New Widget from the Content Manager

You can create a new widget directly from the Content Manager. Once created, the widget can be managed, shared, edited, re-used, and published by accessing it from the Content Manager. 

See also: Our Content Manager article Adding a Widget will provide additional helpful information.

Adding a New or Existing Widget to a Course

Here are some common steps involved whether you create a new widget or use an existing widget.

Click the Course Structure icon from the menu and select or add a page that will contain the widget.

Hover your mouse where you'd like to add the page and hit the green + button. You can select one of three page types.

Choose the page-type that applies best to your widget:

• A Lesson page can hold one or more widgets. These widgets are for student self practice and do not provide an assessment score. 
• An Activity page is designed to host a single activity-type widget. Activities are interactive but do not provide an assessment score.
• An Assessment page designed to host a single assessment-type widget. Assessments do provide an assessment score for the learner that is reported back for SCORM packages.

On a Lesson page, hover your mouse and hit the green + button to add a new block.

Then select Widget from Blocks to add a widget block.

Activities and Assessments can only place a single widget. Click the Add button to add a widget to the page. 

For all pages, select a widget template if you are building a New Widget or select Content Manager to find and re-use an existing widget.

You can search or filter for the type of widget to narrow down your selection.

Editing Widgets 

Keep reading! This help article will help get you Get Started with Widget Editing.