The College of Nursing, Gulf Medical University, successfully conducted a Faculty Development Program (FDP) on “Charting a Smarter Lesson Plan: Notebook LM for the Faculty of Nursing” on 26 June 2026. The session was facilitated by Mr. Suraj K. Sebastian, IT Lecturer and E-Learning Manager, who introduced faculty members to the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education and demonstrated how AI-powered tools can enhance teaching, learning, and lesson planning.
The session commenced with an insightful overview of the evolution of Artificial Intelligence, highlighting the transition from traditional AI systems to modern Generative AI and the emerging concept of Agentic AI. Mr. Sebastian explained the distinction between these technologies, emphasizing that while Generative AI focuses on creating content based on user prompts, Agentic AI can perform more autonomous, goal-oriented tasks by planning and executing workflows with minimal human intervention. He also introduced participants to widely used AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Codex, and Notebook LM, discussing their unique features and educational applications.
The highlight of the program was an in-depth demonstration of Google Notebook LM, an AI-powered research and learning assistant designed to help educators organize, analyze, and interact with their own teaching resources. Mr. Sebastian showcased how Notebook LM can be used to upload course materials, lecture notes, research articles, policies, and other academic documents to generate summaries, answer context-specific questions, organize content, and support evidence-based lesson planning. The session illustrated how Notebook LM can significantly enhance faculty productivity while ensuring that AI-generated responses remain grounded in the uploaded source materials.
A major strength of the FDP was its highly interactive and hands-on approach. Faculty members actively participated by creating their own Notebook LM accounts, exploring the platform’s interface, uploading sample teaching materials, and experimenting with its various features under the guidance of the resource person. The practical training enabled participants to gain firsthand experience in using Notebook LM for organizing educational content, generating teaching resources, and streamlining lesson preparation.
The program fostered an engaging learning environment, with faculty members enthusiastically participating in discussions and raising questions related to AI integration in nursing education. The interactive question-and-answer session encouraged the exchange of ideas on responsible AI usage, academic integrity, and the future of AI-assisted teaching. Mr. Sebastian addressed participants’ queries with practical examples, making the session informative, relevant, and highly engaging.
The Faculty Development Program concluded with positive feedback from participants, who appreciated the blend of conceptual understanding and practical application. The session successfully enhanced faculty awareness of emerging AI technologies and equipped them with valuable digital skills to support innovative, efficient, and learner-centered teaching practices. The program reflected the College of Nursing’s continued commitment to empowering its faculty with contemporary educational technologies and fostering excellence in teaching and learning.
