ORCID
Jenkins: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0858-4146
MSU Affiliation
College of Business; Department of Marketing, Quantitative Analysis, and Supply Chain Logistics
Creation Date
2026-02-02
Abstract
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.
Publication Date
Winter 1-20-2026
Publication Title
Marketing Education Review
Publisher
Taylor and Francis
First Page
1
Last Page
14
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Jenkins, M. R., & Hussain, F. W. (2026). Judging a Book Without a Cover: An Exploratory Conceptual Evaluation of NotebookLM as a Textbook Alternative Using Established Textbook Adoption Criteria. Marketing Education Review, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10528008.2026.2618166
Comments
This is an Accepted Manuscript version of the following article, accepted for publication in Marketing Education Review. Jenkins, M. R., & Hussain, F. W. (2026). Judging a Book Without a Cover: An Exploratory Conceptual Evaluation of NotebookLM as a Textbook Alternative Using Established Textbook Adoption Criteria. Marketing Education Review, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10528008.2026.2618166. It is deposited under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way.