Teaching with Technology

Generative AI Tools

Comparing Popular Generative AI Tools

Generative AI tools can be valuable allies in course design, instructional planning, research support, and day-to-day academic work. Each platform offers unique strengths and limitations, and the “best” tool often depends on your specific goals.

At Xavier, these tools are increasingly used to support course development, enhance student learning, and streamline academic workflows.

Jump to: ChatGPT | Claude | Copilot | Gemini | NotebookLM | Perplexity | Canvas Ignite AI | Comparison Chart | Decision Guide

ChatGPT (OpenAI)

ChatGPT is one of the most widely used AI tools, known for its adaptability. It is strong at generating ideas, lesson plans, drafts, conversational explanations, and quick content creation. The free version is web-based, while premium tiers offer faster performance and advanced models.

Best for: Brainstorming, flexible writing support, interactive use.

Limitations: Can generate inaccurate information or “hallucinations.”


Xavier Use Cases:

  • Drafting course announcements or assignment instructions.
  • Brainstorming lesson activities or discussion prompts.
  • Creating sample explanations of complex concepts for students.

Explore ChatGPT

Claude (Anthropic)

Claude is known for its conversational tone and ability to handle large bodies of text. It is effective for summarizing long documents, generating organized reports, and brainstorming with safety guardrails in place.

Best for: Deep document work and structured summaries.

Limitations: Slower and fewer integrations than some competitors.


Xavier Use Cases:

  • Summarizing long research articles or accreditation documents.
  • Drafting structured reports or program reviews.
  • Reviewing and refining lengthy course materials.

Explore Claude

Copilot (Microsoft)

Copilot is embedded into Microsoft 365, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. It is useful for automating structured tasks, summarizing content, generating drafts, and analyzing data directly within Microsoft applications.

Best for: Office productivity automation and task support.

Limitations: Tightly bound to the Microsoft ecosystem.


Xavier Use Cases:

  • Generating reports or summaries in Word.
  • Analyzing assessment data in Excel.
  • Creating presentation outlines for lectures or workshops.

Explore Copilot

Gemini (Google)

Google Gemini is Google’s advanced AI assistant that integrates closely with Google Workspace, including Docs, Gmail, and Drive. It offers strong multimodal understanding and supports research synthesis, contextual summarization, and productivity features within Google apps.

Best for: Research support, workspace integration, multimodal tasks.

Limitations: Most effective within the Google ecosystem.


Xavier Use Cases:

  • Summarizing Google Docs or meeting notes from departmental work.
  • Drafting emails or communications in Gmail.
  • Organizing and analyzing shared Drive content for projects.

Explore Gemini

NotebookLM (Google)

NotebookLM is a source-based AI tool designed to work with documents you provide, such as PDFs, Google Docs, and course materials. It generates summaries, explanations, and study aids grounded in those sources, often including citations.

Best for: Research synthesis, course readings, study guide creation.

Limitations: Limited to uploaded sources; not a general-purpose AI assistant.


Xavier Use Cases:

  • Creating study guides from assigned readings.
  • Summarizing multiple research articles for class preparation.
  • Helping students synthesize course materials for exams.
  • Generating discussion questions based on uploaded texts.

Explore NotebookLM

Perplexity

Perplexity is a research-oriented AI tool that uses web search to provide responses with citations and links to original sources. This makes it useful for fact-checking and source exploration.

Best for: Research support and source-linked answers.

Limitations: Answers can be surface-level without follow-up.


Xavier Use Cases:

  • Quickly locating scholarly or credible sources for course materials.
  • Supporting literature reviews or exploratory research.
  • Fact-checking information before sharing with students.

Explore Perplexity

Canvas Ignite AI

Canvas Ignite AI is built directly into Canvas and supports course design and instructional workflows. It can help generate assignments, discussions, quizzes, and page content within your course environment.

Best for: Course design, assignment creation, and teaching workflows in Canvas.

Limitations: Limited to Canvas environment; less flexible for general AI tasks.


Xavier Use Cases:

  • Generating discussion prompts aligned to course objectives.
  • Creating quiz questions directly within Canvas.
  • Drafting assignment descriptions and rubrics.
  • Building course pages and instructional content efficiently.

Explore Canvas Ignite AI

Comparison Chart

GenAI Tool Comparison Chart
Tool Best When You Need To… What It Does Best Where It Struggles Works Best In
ChatGPT Design learning experiences, generate ideas, create instructional materials. Flexible, strong reasoning, useful for course design, rubrics, and feedback. Can produce inaccurate information and requires clear prompting. Any workflow.
Claude Analyze or draft long documents, policies, syllabi, or readings. Clear structured writing, tone control, and long-input handling. Less tool integration and weaker for quick iteration. Standalone document-focused work.
Copilot Create slides, summarize meetings, or analyze data. Integration with Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, and Teams. Less flexible outside Microsoft tools. Microsoft 365.
Gemini Work inside Google Docs, Gmail, or Drive. Google Workspace integration, drafting, summarizing, and multimodal tasks. Most useful inside Google tools. Google Workspace.
NotebookLM Work with specific documents, articles, PDFs, or readings. Grounded responses based on provided sources. Cannot go far beyond uploaded materials. Google ecosystem and research workflows.
Perplexity Find reliable sources or verify information. Real-time web search with citations. Less creative and not ideal for content generation. Browser-based research.
Canvas Ignite AI Build or revise course content directly in Canvas. LMS-integrated support for pages, assignments, quizzes, and discussions. Limited to Canvas and less flexible for broad ideation. Canvas LMS.

Quick Decision Guide (Recommendations Only)

Designing a course or assignment? 

→Use ChatGPT.

Working with long readings or writing documents? 

→Use Claude.

Need sources or fact-checking? 

→Use Perplexity.

Analyzing specific articles or PDFs? 

→Use NotebookLM.

Building directly in your Canvas course? 

→Use Canvas Ignite AI.

Creating slides or working in Office tools? 

→Use Copilot.

Working in Google Docs or Gmail? 

→Use Gemini.

Key Takeaways for Faculty

  1. Match the tool to the task:
    • ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini are strong for brainstorming, drafting, and general productivity.
    • NotebookLM is best for working with course materials and research sources.
    • Perplexity supports fact-finding with citations.
    • Canvas Ignite AI is ideal for building and managing course content directly in Canvas.
  2. All tools can produce errors: Use them as supports, not authoritative sources, and verify important information.
  3. Prioritize student learning and alignment: Choose tools that support your course goals, reduce cognitive load, and enhance clarity for students.
  4. Be mindful of data privacy and sensitive information: Use caution with student data or institutional materials.
  5. Start small and experiment: Try these tools in low-stakes ways to identify what best fits your workflow and teaching context.

Daniel Wooddell
Teaching with Technology Site Designer

Jump to Top ↑