NotebookLM: A Notetaking and AI Research Assistant
Notebook LM is an AI generator launched in 2023 that allows you to create “notebooks” and upload sources to those workspaces. It differs from other AI chatbots in one crucial way. Since its output is based only on the sources you upload, it produces summaries and draws comparisons based on the documents you give it. In this way, it is tailored to the content you feed it, making it less likely to hallucinate.
NotebookLM: for Research Help
NotebookLM allows users to:
- get a summary of each source
- ask questions to synthesize source material
- generate ideas for new content
Features
- Summarizes each source
- Synthesizes key ideas from sources into a short, conversational podcast
- Generates questions to help users think critically about each source
- Allows users to ask questions about the relationships between sources
How to use Notebook LM
- A student is writing a popular science article but having trouble understanding one of the peer-reviewed articles. The student uploads this article to Notebook LM and asks it to help summarize some of the key findings. The student then checks the summary against the original, making note of any key differences and performing additional research to ensure an accurate understanding of the text.
- A student has compiled a bibliography of ten sources that address the role of the spectator in French cinema. The student wants to synthesize these viewpoints and asks Notebook LM how each source defines/describes spectatorship. The student then compares Notebook LM’s output to the original sources, revising any errors.
- A student wants to review insights from key course readings in between classes. The student uploads these readings to Notebook LM and asks it to generate a podcast. The podcast discusses the key findings from the content, comparing, contrasting, and drawing insights across sources.
Watch out for. . . .
When considering how to integrate Notebook LM in the classroom, be mindful of the following concerns:
- If a key learning outcome is to have students synthesize sources, you might require them to write a paragraph comparing/contrasting the main ideas from each source before asking them to use Notebook LM to perform the same function. Then, you could ask them to analyze the main differences between their synthesis and the one generated by AI.
- If a key learning outcome is to translate a discipline-specific journal article into more digestible language, you could ask them first to write a summary of the key findings before asking Notebook LM to perform this function. Then, you could have them assess the AI-generated summary against evidence presented in the journal article.
- Because Notebook LM does not train its AI on the material you input, it does not violate copyright laws. However, be mindful only to upload sources that you have the right to use.
- Because students might use Notebook LM at different states in the writing process, you might require them to provide a documentation grid declaring when/how they used this research tool. You might also require them to write a reflection on the pros, cons, and learning experiences based on working with this tool.