Workshop Activities

Workshop Roadmap

Activity Focus Time NotebookLM Features
1 Build your first notebook 20–25 Sources, source summaries, basic chat
2 Summarizing text, audio, and video 20–25 Source summaries, citations, Audio/Video
3 Brainstorming & research question ideas 20–25 Chat, idea generation, Notebook Guide
4 Summarizing survey / qualitative feedback 15–20 Reports, themes, tables, citation checking
5 Turning an article into a presentation 20–25 Reports, outlines, slides, speaker notes

Use this page as a “menu” during the workshop. Each activity has its own detailed instructions linked from the left-hand navigation.

🔍 Activity Preview Gallery

| Studio Tool | Preview Image | |—————–|—————————————————-| | Audio Overview | Audio Overview | | Video Overview | Video Overview | | Mind Map | Mind Map | | Reports | Reports | | Quiz | Quiz | | Flashcards | Flashcards | | Infographic | Flashcards | | Slide Deck | Flashcards |

Tip: Studio supports multiple outputs of the same type (e.g., several Audio or Video Overviews for different chapters/audiences/languages). You can also multitask—listen to an Audio Overview while exploring a Mind Map.

Prompts to Try in NotebookLM

Goal Example Prompt
Simplify “Rewrite this passage in simple modern English.”
Analyze “List all metaphors and explain their literal meaning.”
Visualize “Create a mind map of the imagery and emotions.”
Summarize “Explain the tone and message of this passage in 3 sentences.”
Create “Turn this excerpt into a 2-minute podcast script between two AI hosts.”
Test “Generate five quiz questions about themes and imagery.”

💡 Tip: Have the whole group use the same passage and prompt set first; compare how phrasing changes the outputs. Then iterate with new prompts.

🔬 Feature Exploration Activities (1–6)

🧩 Activity 1: Studio Panel Exploration

Goal: Learn to generate and organize outputs in Studio.
Steps:

  1. Upload 2–3 documents (PDFs, web links, or transcripts).
  2. Open Studio and create:
    • One Report (summary/briefing)
    • One Blog Post (creative/reader-friendly)
  3. Compare structure, tone, and citation behavior.
  4. Reflect: How does the requested format affect style and depth?

🧠 Activity 2: Mind Map Creation

Goal: Visualize relationships between key concepts.
Steps:

  1. Upload a research paper or lecture notes.
  2. Generate a Mind Map from your sources.
  3. Add at least 3 manual nodes for missing links or next questions.
  4. Screenshot and save (e.g., mindmap-activity.png) for your portfolio.

🔊 Activity 3: Audio Overview Challenge

Goal: Experience conversational, source-grounded summaries.
Steps:

  1. With 2–3 sources loaded, open Audio Overview and pick Brief.
  2. Listen for 2–3 minutes; note claims and citations mentioned.
  3. Switch to Critique mode; list differences in tone and depth.
  4. Record 2 follow-up prompts that improved clarity.

🎥 Activity 4: Video Explainer Generation

Goal: Turn notes into a short visual explainer.
Steps:

  1. Open Video Overview.
  2. Generate both Explainer and Brief versions from the same sources.
  3. Change style (e.g., Whiteboard vs Watercolor) and compare.
  4. Decide which format/style best fits your audience and why.

Studio: Slide Decks & Infographics

Use these optional activities if you want to push beyond text and audio:

  • ** 📊 Slide Deck Draft**
    • Pick any notebook you’ve created (e.g., the badge articles or your own course/project docs).
    • Ask NotebookLM to generate a slide outline or full draft deck for a 5–10 minute talk.
    • Copy the outline into Google Slides or PowerPoint and edit:
      • Keep the helpful structure (section order, key points).
      • Rewrite vague or generic bullets.
      • Remove any slide that doesn’t serve a clear purpose.
  • ** 🧩 Infographic Summary**
    • Ask NotebookLM to create a one-page infographic specification: title, sections, 3–5 key points, and suggested icons/visuals.
    • Use that specification to design a simple infographic in your preferred tool (Canva, PowerPoint, Google Slides, etc.).
    • Optionally, compare two versions: one for experts (more detail) and one for non-specialists (fewer, clearer points).

Pro tip:
When you generate slide decks or infographics, always specify audience, time limit, and medium in your prompt (e.g., “10-minute talk for non-experts using 5–7 slides”). The more specific the context, the more usable the AI-generated structure will be.

👥 Activity 5: Team Collaboration Sprint

Goal: Practice sharing and role-based review.
Steps:

  1. Share a notebook with one peer (viewer/commenter).
  2. Peer generates an Audio or Video Overview.
  3. Compare their AI interpretation with your expectations.
  4. Note 2 action items to improve prompts or sources.

🧭 Activity 6: Discovery Mode

Goal: Enrich a notebook with relevant external sources.
Steps:

  1. Open Discovery inside NotebookLM.
  2. Add two web sources that complement your uploads.
  3. Re-run your Report and note what changed.
  4. Mark any unsupported claims for verification.

✍️ Creative Writing & Research Analysis (7–12)

🗂️ Activity 7: Studio Variants (Roles & Languages)

Goal: Use multiple outputs of the same type in a single notebook.
Steps:

  1. Create three Audio Overviews from the same sources:
    • Beginner overview (English)
    • Manager overview (decision-focused)
    • Second-language overview (your choice)
  2. Compare tone, coverage, and examples; refine prompts accordingly.

🧾 Activity 8: Report Synthesis (3+ Sources)

Goal: Produce a coherent briefing from multiple documents.
Steps:

  1. Upload ≥3 related sources (paper, article, slide deck).
  2. Use Report; set a target audience and purpose.
  3. Edit headings; add 2 grounded citations per section.
  4. Export or screenshot for your portfolio.

🧠 Activity 9: Bias & Perspective Check

Goal: Audit tone and balance across viewpoints.
Steps:

  1. Upload two opinion pieces with opposing views.
  2. Summarize each; highlight subjective language.
  3. Ask for a neutral synthesis with explicit citations.
  4. List 3 questions you’d ask an expert to validate the result.

📊 Activity 10: Visual Thinking (Mind Map → Questions)

Goal: Turn structure into inquiry.
Steps:

  1. Generate a Mind Map.
  2. From the map, distill 5 research questions.
  3. For each question, request two cited answers from Chat.
  4. Track which questions need more/better sources.

💬 Activity 11: Peer Feedback Loop

Goal: Improve through outside review.
Steps:

  1. Share a public-view notebook link.
  2. Ask a peer to review your Report and Video Overview.
  3. Collect 3 concrete improvement notes (scope, clarity, citations).
  4. Iterate once and note what changed.

⭐ Activity 12: Design Your Own Use-Case

Goal: Build a reusable workflow.
Steps:

  1. Pick a scenario (e.g., classroom recap, grant brief, policy explainer).
  2. Document the exact steps: sources → Studio tool(s) → outputs.
  3. Save a template prompt and a sample result.
  4. Submit your use-case to the class/team library.

📝 Reflection & Submission

Reflect (5–7 sentences):
What did NotebookLM do best for your task? Where did grounding/citations help? What would you change about your sources or prompts next time?

Submit:

  • One screenshot of Mind Map
  • One Report (PDF/export or screenshot)
  • Either an Audio or Video Overview link (domain-permitted)
  • Your reflection paragraph

Rubric (quick): completeness (40%), source-grounding & citations (30%), clarity & audience fit (20%), polish (10%).

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