Mark Brown
Generate Knowledge Check Questions and Weekly Topic Concept Summaries
Use NotebookLM to generate knowledge-check questions and summaries
How to generate a study guide and a briefing document from a set of source materials using Google's NotebookLM
NotebookLM can rapidly generate structured learning materials from a collection of sources, including websites, documents, and videos. This is useful for creating initial drafts of student resources like study guides, briefing documents, or weekly summaries. As with any AI-generated content, it is crucial to review, validate, and edit the outputs to ensure they are accurate, relevant, and aligned with your learning objectives before sharing them with students.
00:30Create a new notebook. From the NotebookLM home screen, select "Create new notebook".00:40Add your source materials. In the new notebook, add sources by uploading files (PDF, images, docs, audio), pasting website or YouTube URLs, connecting to Google Drive, or pasting text. To add multiple URLs, paste each one on a new line.01:50Select the sources to use for generation. In the "Sources" panel on the left, tick the checkboxes next to the specific materials you want the AI to use for generating the documents. You can select all or a subset of the available sources.02:14Open the Reports tool. In the "Studio" panel on the right, select "Reports".02:27Generate a briefing document. From the list of report formats, select "Briefing doc". The generation process will begin, and the new document will appear in the Studio panel queue.02:38Generate a study guide. Select "Reports" again, then choose "Study guide". This will add a second generation task to the queue.03:01Review the generated documents. Once complete, click on a generated document in the Studio panel to open it. Review the contents, such as the executive summary in the briefing document or the short-answer questions, essay topics, and glossary in the study guide.
Tool | This activity uses Google's NotebookLM. |
|---|---|
Access | Access to NotebookLM requires a Google account. |
Supported Sources | NotebookLM can use PDFs, images, documents, audio files, websites, YouTube videos, and text from Google Drive as sources. |
Caveat | NotebookLM may not be able to process all sources; for example, some videos may not be eligible for analysis. |
Validation | Always review and validate AI-generated content for accuracy and relevance before using it in a teaching context. |
Related skills
- Brainstorm ideas and generate drafts — This activity is a direct application of using AI to generate first drafts of educational materials like study guides and summaries.
- Apply human judgement to validate AI outputs — The generated study guides and briefing documents serve as starting points that require an educator's expertise to edit, verify, and align with course objectives.
- Recognise limits of AI outputs — Using this tool highlights that AI outputs need careful review for accuracy and pedagogical suitability, as they are not finished products.
- Locate and manage supported GenAI tools — This tutorial demonstrates how to access and begin using a specific, powerful AI tool designed for working with source materials.