Hands Demonstrative Sessions on AI Tools - Day 3

Summary

The session demonstrates Google’s AI tools—primarily NotebookLM and Gemini—for studying, teaching, and creating learning materials. The instructor encourages participants to follow along and use their own course notes or topics.

1. NotebookLM: Work with Sources and Create Learning Resources

NotebookLM can use uploaded or selected material as the basis for questions and generated resources. The instructor demonstrates creating a notebook, adding a source, and asking questions about its contents.

Adding material

• Open NotebookLM through Google and sign in.
• Create a new notebook.
• Add a source by uploading a file, adding a website or YouTube link, using material from Drive, pasting text, or searching the web.
• The demonstration uses an uploaded presentation and later a web search about AI in education.
• Ask questions about the material—for example, which tools are mentioned—and use the answers to review lengthy documents without reading every page.

Creating resources from a source

The session shows or describes generating:

• Mind maps
• Audio overviews or podcast-style discussions
• Video overviews
• Slide presentations
• Quizzes
• Flashcards
• Infographics and reports

The instructor suggests that students can use these features to review difficult topics, while teachers can turn notes or presentations into materials for students.

Using and sharing results

• Mind maps can be explored by expanding their branches and downloaded.
• Generated audio, video, and slides can be downloaded. Slides can be exported as PowerPoint or PDF.
• Quizzes provide answers and explanations, including feedback on incorrect choices.
• Flashcards can be flipped to reveal answers. In the demonstration, they could be viewed and shown to students, but not edited or downloaded.
• Some outputs take several minutes to generate.
• Language choices vary, and some regional languages may not be available.

2. Gemini Mobile App: Voice and Camera Interaction

The instructor demonstrates the Gemini app as a conversational assistant that users can speak with in their own language.

• Start a voice conversation using the voice-conversation control. The instructor notes that users generally do not need to select a language first; Gemini can respond in the language they use.
• Ask questions, request explanations, practice a language, or seek help with topics such as studying, recipes, or programming.
• Use the camera option to show an object, plant, food item, or monument and ask Gemini to describe it or provide related information.
• The instructor contrasts Gemini’s broader capabilities with Google Lens, which they describe as mainly scanning and identifying items, and Alexa, which they describe as primarily a voice assistant.

The app’s interface may differ across devices or versions. One participant needed to update the app to access the demonstrated control.

3. Gemini Guided Learning: Learn Step by Step

Guided Learning is presented as a way to study a topic from the basics, with explanations and questions tailored to the learner’s level.

The demonstration uses a hypothetical school student learning Python:

1. Choose Guided Learning and describe your level and goal—for example, “I am a 10th-standard student and want to learn Python from scratch.”
2. Follow the offered starting points, such as learning variables or decision-making with if statements.
3. Ask for simpler explanations or more examples if something is unclear.
4. Try the practice challenges Gemini provides.
5. Submit an answer and use Gemini’s feedback to identify and correct mistakes. In the example, Gemini explains that text in Python should be placed inside quotation marks.

The instructor emphasizes that learners can ask follow-up questions and continue until they understand the concept.

4. Gemini Canvas: Turn a Topic into Learning Materials

Canvas is demonstrated as a way to develop a topic into a document and then create additional formats from it.

• Select Canvas and enter a topic, such as “Parts of speech in English” or “Types of AI.”
• Let Gemini create a document about the topic.
• Use the Create option to generate formats such as:
  • A webpage
  • An infographic
  • A quiz
  • Flashcards
  • An audio overview
• Preview and share the webpage. The instructor also demonstrates copying or downloading its content or code.
• Use quizzes for self-testing, with hints and explanations for answers.

The instructor notes that image generation and Deep Research are available as other Gemini options but leaves them for a later session.

5. Tasks and Takeaways

Participants are asked to explore both tools using their own subjects or learning materials. The assigned NotebookLM task is to create four outputs from a relevant source:

• Audio podcast
• Video podcast
• Slide presentation
• Mind map

Participants are asked to share the requested downloads in the group. The instructor also asks them to explore Canvas and its available outputs.

A broader lesson from the session is that these tools can transform source material into multiple formats for review and teaching. Conversational and guided-learning features can also support questions, practice, and explanations. The instructor encourages users to check the generated material and choose tools according to the task.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Instructor/presenter: Leads the session, demonstrates NotebookLM and Gemini, and assigns practice tasks. The subtitles do not identify the instructor by name.
• Participants: Students and faculty members who respond to questions and ask for help with the tools.
• Professor Est Rajan: A senior professor acknowledged by the instructor as attending. The subtitles do not clearly include a speech from him.
• Gemini assistant: Heard in a brief spoken interaction and demonstrated as a voice-based assistant.
• NotebookLM-generated podcast voices: Two synthetic speakers appear in the sample audio, discussing AI-generated work and its use in a report.