These new options lastly made NotebookLM my final private assistant

I’ve written right here earlier than in regards to the many nice makes use of of NotebookLM. I’ve used it to assist me make PowerPoint presentations for work. It has turned into my researching companion for just about something that I do, together with planning a visit. And since I do not absolutely belief the whole lot I hear from a chatbot like ChatGPT, I’ve used NotebookLM to fact-check what I have been informed.

It is a easy, versatile instrument that helps streamline duties that will usually take a ton of effort and time. For anybody who enjoys researching or studying up on a subject, NotebookLM can do it extra effectively. That is due to the spectacular set of instruments the research helper presents. Not solely does it generate Thoughts Maps, which break a subject into expandable subtopics so you’ll be able to dig in as deep as you need, however it pulls from the sources you present, quite than simply crawling the net. That makes the outcomes extra targeted, particularly if you’re attempting to check or manage info.

By no means one to sit down nonetheless, Google has continued evolving the instrument. It is included audio and video overviews that you may share and obtain to offer others a fast have a look at what you are researching. However Google’s newest options in NotebookLM have absolutely turned their concentrate on the learning side, they usually’ve been a giant assist for me.

Flashcards that will help you research

NotebookLM will make you your personal quiz

When you open up NotebookLM and create a brand new pocket book, you may see two new choices within the menu on the right-hand aspect. Considered one of them is Flashcards. This function takes your sources and routinely creates flashcards based mostly on the data you have supplied.

Now, you don’t should do any of the work writing out flashcards — NotebookLM generates them for you. I made a decision to study extra in regards to the well-known drummer and singer/songwriter Phil Collins. I already had a fundamental data of his profession, from his time in Genesis to his solo work, so I uploaded a YouTube interview the place he talks about his drumming model, alongside along with his private web site.

From there, I clicked on Flashcards, and NotebookLM took a couple of minutes to generate 60 of them — all targeted on Phil Collins. As an enormous fan of trivia, this is a perfect manner for me to study one thing. You possibly can both click on or press keyboard instructions to cycle by way of the questions.

The entrance of the flashcard is the query and the again is the reply. There’s additionally a button that claims Clarify. When you click on that, a immediate heads over to the center Chat portion of NotebookLM. For instance, mine learn:

I am reviewing flashcards based mostly on the supply materials, and I might wish to increase my understanding of one in every of them.

On the entrance it reads: “In what yr did Phil Collins turn into the drummer for the band Genesis?” The reply on the again reads: “He grew to become the drummer for Genesis in 1970.”

Clarify this matter in additional element.

NotebookLM then supplied a protracted write-up explaining this reply. It is an extremely useful strategy to study extra a few matter actually shortly.

Create a report based mostly in your matter

There are a number of methods to do that

Considered one of the other new features on the right-hand menu is Studies. Clicking on it will deliver up a menu of eight choices. There are a number of codecs to select from:

• Create Your Personal
• Briefing Doc
• Research Information
• Weblog Put up
• Market Evaluation
• Content material Technique
• Informational Pamphlet
• Newbie’s Overview

Every of them have their very own description, highlighting the model of report that will probably be. I needed to study extra about Mount Kilimanjaro, so I created a weblog submit to summarize my findings. Then I used the identical sources to generate a briefing doc, simply to see how they in contrast.

The tone was completely different for each of the studies and the format assorted as effectively. The weblog submit was extremely readable, whereas the briefing doc was a bit extra regimented and meant to only cowl the subject in not a lot description. This whole train lets you get the details with out having to learn the chat by way of or ask it a bunch of questions.

Quiz your self with a number of alternative

One other supreme learning instrument

There is a cause individuals depend on pattern quizzes whereas learning. Even when the questions aren’t precisely what would seem on an actual take a look at, they assist affirm that you simply’re absolutely greedy the fabric you’ve been researching. If you wish to put your retention to the take a look at, this quiz function is the way in which to go.

It solely took a couple of moments to generate the quiz, which was solely 10 questions lengthy. It supplied a number of alternative solutions, giving me the prospect to guess proper. What’s extraordinarily useful if you’re taking the quiz is that, when you click on on a solution, an evidence of why it is proper and why it is fallacious comes up. When you guess proper, a inexperienced display comes up with details supporting why that reply is appropriate. When you guess fallacious, a pink display seems with details highlighting why your reply is inaccurate.

These newest improvements from NotebookLM show that Google is attempting to make its instrument the perfect it may be. It additionally highlights how persons are supposed to consider researching and learning. Quite than writing out notes by hand, utilizing a few of these for research belongings might be your most popular strategy to go to any extent further.