Readings are crucial for building knowledge and fostering discussions, yet getting students to complete them can be a challenge. Students can face many barriers when it comes to reading materials. Some barriers can include language, time management, or lack of understanding its relevance. This challenge is even greater in courses with diverse learners, each with unique needs and learning preferences. To overcome reading barriers, generative AI, Notebook LM can transform traditional reading assignments into dynamic, tailored experiences that align with the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Instead of presenting text in a fixed format, the tool allows educators and students to interact with the material in ways that make it more accessible, engaging, and meaningful. For instance, students can use Notebook LM to generate concise summaries, reframe complex concepts in simpler language, generate audio representations, and create interactive study aids to scaffold their understanding. To begin exploring Google Notebook LM as an instructor or as part of a course:

1. Explore Notebook LM: take a few minutes to try out Notebook LM for yourself. Login with a non-university Google account at NotebookLM.Google.Com and upload or link a couple of sources you’re familiar with. The tool will automatically process the materials for interactive use. Review the tools provided within the Notebook interface to assess the quality of the output.

2. Provide Access to Course Materials: Use Canvas or Box to provide students access to a set of assigned readings via download or hyperlink.

3. Personalize the Experience: Demonstrate to your students how to use Notebook LM to aggregate required readings. Show students how to personalize their own experience with the materials by generating summaries, FAQs, study guides and interacting with the built in Chat feature.

4. Engage Students: As part of your reading assignment, allow students to interact and engage with the materials in their preferred format so that they are ready to actively participate in discussions. You might consider asking them to come prepared to discuss how they used the tool to engage with the readings.

Google Notebook LM can be used to enhance engagement and comprehension for many assignments, but we recognize that there are times when the difficulty of reading is essential, particularly in disciplines like Philosophy or when assigning primary texts where struggling with unfamiliar language is the point. In those instances, it is crucial to communicate the goals of the assignment clearly so that students understand the value of engaging deeply with challenging material and the benefits of embracing the intended struggle.