Learning Widget for Lotus Notes 

The IBM® Lotus® Learning Widget for IBM® Lotus Notes® is a sidebar widget that is used to view and filter learning materials inside your IBM Lotus Notes client, version 8.0.1 or higher.

Note: If you previously installed the Learning Plug-In for IBM Lotus Notes, you will need uninstall that plug-in prior to installing the Learning Widget. Refer to Upgrading from the Learning Plug-In to the IBM Lotus Learning Widget article for instructions.

If you are using Lotus iNotes, refer to the Installing the Learning Widget into Lotus iNotes 8.5.1 wiki article for step-by-step instructions to use the Learning Widget in iNotes.

Quick install: If you already know how to install a widget, drag the learning_widget_extension.xml file from this browser window to the My Widgets panel in your Lotus Notes client.

Are you new to Lotus Notes or upgrading from a previous Lotus Notes release? Install this widget.
Are you moving to Lotus Notes from Microsoft Outlook? Install this widget.

Full install instructions: Jump to the Installing the Learning Widget section.

About the Learning Widget

The Lotus Learning Widget for IBM Lotus Notes gives you access the following types of Lotus Notes user training materials:

• Task-based demonstrations: These are task-based product simulations that show the user how to complete one task or a small series of related tasks.
  
• Videos: Videos are similar to task-based demonstrations, but are larger in scope. They teach a skill that typically covers multiple tasks. These demonstrations include movie affects such as panning, zooming, and audio. Videos can also provide an overview of product concepts, such as Lotus Domino database security concepts. They include animations that illustrate concepts that help end users, administrators, and application developers to better understand how a product works.
  
• Tutorials: A tutorial provides step-by-step instructions on how to perform common tasks when first getting started using a product. Tutorials typically include sample files to download.
  
• Product Tour: A product tour is a collection of animations or product simulations that introduces the product and its features. They are positioned as introductory upon which other learning and knowledge is built.
  
• Web Seminars: A web seminar is a presentation-based learning experience that is developed with speaker notes and audio track. This seminar can be delivered as self-paced (Web or SCORM) or by an instructor either in a live or virtual classroom or Web conference.
  
• Online courses: Self-paced e-learning courses are comparable to material covered in an instructor-led classroom-based course, but can be taken online at your own pace. Online courses can include conceptual information, task "how to" information, and sample files for completing exercises on your own.
  
• Reference Cards: Reference cards are a quick reference for users to quickly find how to perform the most common tasks in a product. They are printable in a two-page format.
  

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Installing the Learning Widget

Use the following instructions to install the Lotus Learning Widget into the Lotus Notes 8.0.1 or higher sidebar.

Note: If you previously installed the Learning Plug-In for IBM Lotus Notes, you will need uninstall that plug-in prior to installing the Learning Widget. Refer to Upgrading from the Learning Plug-In to the IBM Lotus Learning Widget article for instructions.

1. Start the Lotus Notes client.
   
   
2. Select File > Preferences > Widgets in Windows or Lotus Notes > Preferences > Widgets on the MAC.
   
   
3. As shown in the following figure, check the Show Widget Toolbar and the My Widgets Sidebar panel field, and click OK.
   
   
   
   
   
   Result: The My Widgets icon displays in the sidebar as shown below:
   
   
   
   
4. Expand the My Widgets panel by clicking the icon, or by clicking and dragging to resize, as shown below:
   
   
   
   Result: The My Widgets panel will open.
   
   
   
   
5. Drag the learning_widget_extension.xml file from this browser window to the My Widgets panel in your Lotus Notes client.
   

Are you new to Lotus Notes or upgrading from a previous Lotus Notes release? Install this widget.
Are you moving to Lotus Notes from Microsoft Outlook? Install this widget.


Hint: If you are using a separate web browser (instead of the embedded web browser in Notes), you will need to position your windows so that you can drag the widget from your web browser to the widget sidebar. Watch the following video to see how to do this.

Alternatively, you can right click the learning_widget_extension.xml file or the outlook_users_learning_widget_extension.xml file link, save the file to your desktop, then drag the file from your desktop to the My Widgets panel.

6. If you are using Notes 8.5.1, the Lotus Learning Widget icon will display in the My Widgets panel, and be added to the Notes sidebar, as shown below:



Click the Lotus Learning Widget in the sidebar to see its contents.

7. If using a version prior to Notes 8.5.1, right-click the Lotus Learning Widget icon in the My Widgets panel, and select Open in > Sidebar Panel.

The Learning Widget is ready to use. After installing the Learning Widget, your Notes client sidebar will look like the following screen image.

Note: When new materials are added to the Learning Widget and you have an Internet connection, the Widget is automatically updated with those new materials.

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Viewing PDFs in the Learning Widget

There are some known issues with viewing a PDF file in Notes and Symphony. If you are having trouble viewing a reference card in the Learning Widget, you can view and download the reference cards from this wiki -- Reference cards in this wiki.

License information

The IBM Lotus Learning Widget is offered on an "as-is" basis. The widget and Lotus Notes are updated frequently, and therefore, the widget may not be compatible with every build of Lotus Notes.

IBM Lotus Learning Widget License Agreement