The Maldives National University (MNU) has strengthened its efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into higher education through a professional development training session titled “Leveraging NotebookLM AI for Engaging Teaching and Learning,” aimed at equipping academic staff with practical skills to develop interactive, accessible, and student-centred learning resources.
Facilitated by Ibrahim Adam, Instructional Designer at the Centre for Educational Technology and Excellence, the training highlighted the potential of AI-powered tools to transform existing academic content into varied learning materials. The programme focused on helping lecturers make purposeful use of emerging technologies to enhance instructional delivery, encourage active learning, and respond to diverse student learning needs.
A central focus of the session was introducing academic staff to NotebookLM, an AI-powered research and learning tool that can support the organisation and exploration of educational content. Participants were introduced to uploading and managing course materials, generating audio summaries, developing mind maps, and creating guided question prompts to support student understanding and engagement.
The training explored how these features can offer students different ways to interact with academic content. Audio summaries can provide an alternative format for reviewing information, while mind maps can help learners visualise relationships between key concepts. Guided questions were also highlighted as a means of encouraging deeper engagement, critical thinking, and independent learning.
Beyond introducing technical features, the programme emphasised the importance of aligning AI-generated resources with clearly defined learning objectives. Academic staff were encouraged to consider how digital tools can complement established teaching methods and support meaningful learning experiences rather than simply automate content preparation.
The session also highlighted the importance of practical and responsible AI integration in education. By encouraging lecturers to critically review AI-generated materials and exercise professional judgement, the training reinforced the need to maintain academic accuracy, educational relevance, and quality in technology-supported teaching.
The initiative reflects MNU’s continued investment in academic staff development and its commitment to fostering innovation in teaching and learning. Strengthening educators’ confidence in AI-supported resource development can contribute to more flexible instructional approaches, improved access to learning materials, and greater opportunities for student engagement.
Aligned with priorities of quality education, inclusive and equitable learning, digital literacy, responsible artificial intelligence, educational innovation, lifelong learning, and professional capacity development, the training supports MNU’s efforts to build a more technology-enabled, accessible, and future-ready higher education environment.
