Google’s NotebookLM is a powerful and versatile digital notebook. It is student-friendly and conveniently integrated into the Google Workspace for Education ecosystem. It also continues to evolve with new features being regularly added. Included below are six of the most powerful features of NotebookLM.
1. Targeted Content
One of the most powerful aspects of NotebookLM is that it allows you to load your own documents, links, resources, websites, and videos into specific notebooks. Because you are the one actively gathering the content and defining the knowledge base, your interactions with NotebookLM’s AI assistant are “source-grounded.” This means that the responses you receive are based on, or grounded in, the material provided.
This design gives you much more control over the depth and breadth of the content and topics being discussed, and because the source content is specifically defined, it minimizes hallucinations and ensures accuracy.
Once you have built your notebook, you can then ask questions and receive answers based on that defined content. You might use this functionality to upload and unpack academic standards and curriculum, develop lessons based on specific standards, or analyze an article or short story. You could also have research summarized into bullet points, pull out key takeaways from a collection of related articles, or generate test or discussion questions from source content.
There is also value here for your students, as they could have text translated or a summary generated in another language, practice math problems based on generated equations from an example or chapter, or have complex documents simplified into shorter summaries. Students could also ask questions about a literary text or historical event.
2. Audio and Video Overviews
The audio overviews have been part of NotebookLM from the beginning. This feature generates a podcast conversation between two people discussing—and thereby summarizing—the content of the notebook. The conversation sounds very realistic and is easy to listen to and understand.
The video overview offers a new take on the audio overviews, with videos narrated by a single voice rather than two people in conversation. The videos also add a visual element, usually in the form of images and pull quotes.
Because there are two options, you and your students can decide which output best meets your needs. You could use this to summarize reports, chapters, or research documents, while your students might use it to receive general summaries of research they are conducting or seek help with processing a textbook chapter.
3. Mind Map
This is one of the new features of NotebookLM. Based on the content that you’ve selected, the AI will produce a branching mind map that breaks down and outlines the content.
For instance, if a user uploaded a collection of documents about designing blended learning playlists, the mind map would break that top level topic into four subparts: “Definition of Blended Learning,” “Blended Learning Models,” “Playlist Model Overview,” and “Playlist Templates and Formats.” This is very helpful for gaining a big-picture understanding of the content available.
Each of the four subtopics included an arrow to its right. By clicking an arrow, the topic branches again. For instance, a click on “Playlist Model Overview” revealed a few subpoints for a definition, criteria, and design steps.
Clicking the arrow by any of these allows the user to dig even deeper and expose additional subdivisions of information.
Teachers could use this to break down their academic standards, curriculum resources, or even research for a college class. Students could use it to break down and simplify nearly any academic content or resource they have access to. It can quickly give them a high-level understanding of how a topic is broken down, to help them mentally organize and make sense of new information.
4. Reports
The Reports feature is another new offering. By clicking this option, you are presented with multiple choices for generating reports about the selected content.
The term “report” can mean multiple things within this feature. It might be a briefing document that provides an overview of a source. It can also be a study guide, complete with quiz questions, answers, and a glossary of key terms. It may even be a blog post or custom report that you design. It’s a versatile tool that offers suggested formats for you to start with.
Teachers might use this to develop a study guide for their class or perhaps to produce a report that summarizes survey results. Students can use this to help summarize content or develop a study guide.
5. Flashcards
This new feature is just what it sounds like, as it generates a custom set of interactive flashcards based on the content you have chosen. You can base them on one item in the collection, a few custom selected resources, or even the entire collection at once.
Click on the generated cards, and you will see a series of flashcards with questions on them. Click to flip the card and reveal the answer. When finished, click the arrow to move on to the next card.
Teachers can create a set of cards to use as a full class, and individual students can make their own flashcards for self-study. The cards can be based on any content uploaded into the notebook.
6. Quiz
The Quiz option is the final new feature of NotebookLM. This option generates a series of multiple-choice questions based on the content selected.
When taking the quiz, either click on an option that you think is correct or click the “Hint” button to get a hint. If you click the wrong answer, you’ll get an explanation about why that’s incorrect, and you’ll also be shown the correct answer with an explanation of why that is the best answer. If you want more explanation, there is an “Explain” button that you can click to have AI generate a longer explanation of the concept and correct response. When satisfied with your learning on the topic, click “Next” to move on to the next question.
Teachers can use this to get ideas for test or quiz questions, or they could use it for review with the class. Students can generate their own quizzes for self-study.
Google’s NotebookLM continues to evolve. The new features—video overviews, mind maps, reports, flashcards, and quizzes—take this AI-powered tool to a new level and offer many possibilities for your classroom.
AVID Connections
This resource connects with the following components of the AVID College and Career Readiness Framework:
- Instruction
- Rigorous Academic Preparedness
- Student Agency
- Break Down Barriers
Extend Your Learning
- NotebookLM (Google)
- Google NotebookLM for Teachers: 10 Things to Know for Educators (Ditch That Textbook)
- Quickstart Guide to Gemini and NotebookLM for Education (Google Workspace Admin Help)