| Description: |
Although textbook usage is linked to improved educational outcomes, traditional textbooks are rapidly losing appeal among marketing students, driven by high costs, inaccessible content, and declining experiential satisfaction. At the same time, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence tools offers marketing educators new pedagogical opportunities. One such tool is Google’s NotebookLM, a large multimodal model that generates context-specific outputs based on user-provided source materials. We propose that this novel AI tool offers an attractive, practical alternative to traditional textbooks for both educators and students alike. Grounded in Elbeck et al.’s (2009) criteria for textbook selection, this research conceptually evaluates NotebookLM’s academic suitability, currency, clarity and flow, supplements and visuals, affordability, pedagogic fit, and digital fluency as informed by an exploratory quasi-experimental study of two consumer behavior classrooms at a large state university. Our findings provide preliminary evidence that compared to a traditional textbook, students perceive NotebookLM as a satisfactory, engaging, and attractive alternative learning resource. We further argue that NotebookLM can enhance educators’ pedagogic flexibility. |