Master NotebookLM Hands-On AI Workshops at the TTC MDSC

Long Beach City College has launched a series of artificial intelligence (AI) workshops, held  at the Trades, Technology, and Community Learning Campus, designed to help students harness emerging technology to elevate their study routines. The initiative reflects a growing recognition among educators that AI literacy is becoming an essential component of modern higher education.

Two interactive campus sessions on Oct. 14 and Oct. 16 introduced participants to NotebookLM, a specialized AI tool developed to transform dense course materials into personalized study guides. 

Unlike general chatbots, this platform is tailored specifically to interact with user-provided documents, making it highly relevant to college coursework.

Students who attend the workshops learn how to utilize the software to generate comprehensive study guides, conceptual mind maps and interactive audio summaries. 

These features allow users to engage with text-heavy materials in multiple formats, catering to diverse learning preferences across disciplines.

For workshop attendee Marlene Masiri, these campus sessions are a vital resource as education increasingly shifts toward digital models. 

Masiri notes how the rapid evolution of educational tools can leave many students feeling overwhelmed without explicit guidance from their institution.

“A lot of our classes are turning online, so a lot of students need more help with technology,” Masiri said. 

She explained that when properly understood AI tools can make learning more accessible and help students complete their coursework with greater efficiency.

Masiri, who attended the session specifically to find new ways to improve her study habits, praised the workshop for its hands-on approach. She noted that the fast, highly engaging pace kept participants focused while demonstrating the immediate utility of the software.

Fellow attendee, Mike Giuliano, echoed the need for ongoing campus training, pointing out that digital literacy is a moving target. He believes that institutions have a responsibility to keep students informed because, “technology is always changing,” said Giuliano.

Giuliano believes most students welcome AI integration because it clarifies complex topics, streamlines academic research and saves valuable time. 

Rather than fearing the technology, he sees it as a necessary asset for managing heavy course loads.

Though already comfortable with general digital tools, Giuliano attended the workshop to learn how to navigate specialized academic platforms more effectively. He hopes to directly apply these newly acquired strategies to improve his overall schoolwork.

“I would attend more workshops,” Giuliano said, adding that expanding his knowledge of different AI applications will directly benefit his research and upcoming course assignments.

Workshop instructor Isabel Harris observed that many students initially overlook NotebookLM because they tend to focus on mainstream AI tools built for quick answers. 

 “These mainstream tools often encourage passivity rather than deep comprehension of the material,” Harris said.

Harris further explained that NotebookLM serves a fundamentally different purpose by helping students organize complex information and build robust, customized study materials. 

The training emphasized treating AI as a collaborative learning partner rather than a shortcut.

“We’re trying to say, no, here’s ways that you can use it and you can control it and you can use it to do the things you want to do,” Harris said. 

The instructional focus remains on keeping the student firmly in the driver’s seat of their own education.

Academic integrity and digital ethics remain central pillars of the workshop curriculum. Students are strongly encouraged to review their course syllabi and consult their professors regarding specific AI policies before using any software for graded classwork.

Harris emphasized that transparency is essential for preventing academic dishonesty in the digital age. Ultimately, the program aims to build digital confidence, with Harris hoping students walk away with at least two practical strategies to manage difficult reading assignments responsibly