# AI for the Workplace with Gemini Course Online Canonical URL: ## Overview This course helps participants build practical, job ready skills with Google Gemini AI, from first prompts to advanced workflows. You will learn how to prompt effectively, work with files and multimedia, create custom Gems, use Canvas and Memory, and apply advanced features such as Deep Research and NotebookLM to research, analysis, writing, and knowledge management tasks. The course also covers how to use Gemini within Google Workspace tools such as Docs, Sheets, Slides, Gmail, and Drive, and how to set up automations with Extensions, Scheduled Actions, and Workspace Flows. Through guided exercises and a capstone project, you will build a personalized Gemini system aligned to your role and leave with practical deliverables you can apply in your workplace. ## What you'll learn - Craft structured prompts and employ advanced techniques including Deep Think mode and Google Search grounding - Create Gems, use Canvas for interactive content, and configure Memory for persistent context - Use Deep Research to produce automated, multi-page research reports and transform them into interactive deliverables - Build source grounded knowledge bases with NotebookLM and generate Audio Overviews - Work with Gemini's side panel in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Gmail, and Drive for real time AI assisted work - Set up Extensions, Scheduled Actions, and Workspace Flows for cross application automation - Build a complete, personalized Gemini system for your own role, from task audit through finished deliverable ## Curriculum #### Module 1: Getting Started with Google Gemini - Explain how Gemini processes information and what the context window means practically - Select the right model tier (Flash Lite, Flash, Pro, Deep Think) for different tasks - Navigate the Gemini app confidently and understand plan options (Free, AI Pro, AI Ultra, Workspace) #### Module 2: Prompting Fundamentals and Working with Files - Write prompts using the five-component framework (context, task, format, constraints, examples) - Upload and analyze multiple file types in conversation, including images, video, and audio - Diagnose and fix weak prompts #### Module 3: Gems — Building Custom AI Experts - Create a Gem with custom instructions tailored to a specific work task - Use the Productivity Planner Gem to synthesize calendar, email, and document information - Explain how Gems differ from regular conversations and when to use each #### Module 4: Canvas, Memory, and Usage Management - Create and iterate on interactive content in Canvas - Configure Memory settings and review what Gemini remembers - Apply usage management practices to extend your plan’s AI credits #### Module 5: Advanced Prompting and Power Features - Use role-based prompting to shape Gemini’s perspective - Break complex tasks into multi-step prompts - Use Deep Think mode for problems requiring extended reasoning - Use the “You ask me” technique to replace prompt engineering with guided conversation #### Module 6: Gemini vs. Other AI Tools — Making Smart Choices - Identify which AI tool is strongest for a given task type - Articulate Gemini’s key differentiators and limitations - Evaluate AI tool outputs critically #### Module 7: Deep Research - Use Deep Research to produce a multi-page report on a work-relevant topic - Customize a research plan before execution for targeted results - Upload personal files as additional sources for a Deep Research report - Transform a research report into an interactive Canvas deliverable #### Module 8: NotebookLM — Source-Grounded Intelligence - Create a NotebookLM notebook with multiple source documents - Ask questions and receive cited, source-grounded answers - Generate an Audio Overview from uploaded documents - Add a NotebookLM notebook as a source in a Gemini conversation #### Module 9: Gemini in Google Workspace — Docs, Sheets, and Slides - Use Gemini’s side panel in Docs to draft, edit, and summarize documents - Use Gemini in Sheets to write formulas, analyze data, and create visualizations - Use Gemini in Slides to create a presentation from data or a prompt - Complete a cross-app workflow from data analysis to finished presentation #### Module 10: Extensions, Gmail, Calendar, and Drive - Enable and configure Google Apps Extensions in Gemini - Use Gemini with Gmail to draft, summarize, and search email - Query Calendar and Drive data within a Gemini conversation - Complete a cross-extension workflow combining multiple Google apps #### Module 11: Chrome, Workspace Flows, and Scheduled Actions - Use Gemini in Chrome’s side panel for web research and summarization - Create a Workspace Flow that automates a multi-step process - Set up a Scheduled Action for a recurring work task #### Module 12: Privacy, Security, and Responsible Use - Explain Google’s data privacy policies for Gemini and Workspace AI features - Recognize signs of prompt injection and apply mitigation strategies - Configure Gemini use appropriate to your organization’s data sensitivity #### Module 13: Industry Applications — Gemini in Action Across Roles - Complete at least two industry scenarios relevant to your role - Produce deliverables using the full Gemini stack (Gems + Deep Research + NotebookLM + Workspace) #### Module 14: Capstone — Build Your Personal Gemini System - Identify high-impact AI opportunities in your own workflow - Configure a complete Gemini system tailored to your job - Produce a real deliverable through an end-to-end Gemini workflow #### Module 15: Wrap-Up and Next Steps - Articulate Gemini’s current limitations and appropriate use boundaries - Follow the Week 1 action plan for sustained adoption ## Instructors ### Reid Johnson — Instructor Reid isn't just someone who knows CAD and BIM; he's a licensed architect and contractor who deeply integrates these technologies into every facet of his career. His hands-on experience as a practitioner building real-world projects provides him with an invaluable understanding of how BIM and CAD streamline workflows and enhance design. This practical foundation led him to Autodesk, where he shared his expertise, helping others effectively leverage these powerful tools. Throughout his professional journey, Reid also dedicates himself to education, consistently teaching university courses and shaping the next generation of design professionals by equipping them with essential CAD skills. His unique blend of practical experience, industry knowledge gained at Autodesk, and passion for teaching positions Reid as a true specialist in BIM and CAD technology, capable of bridging the gap between theory and real-world application. **Credentials:** - Autodesk Fusion Certified User - Autodesk Revit Certified Professional - Autodesk Certified Instructor - Licensed Architect - Licensed General Contractor ### David Nguyen — Instructor David is the AEC Software Specialist at VDCI, with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management and an Associate’s degree of science in Drafting and General Design from ITT Technical Institute. A San Diego native with over 12 years working in the Design Industry and construction industry, David brings his construction and design expertise to help all students achieve their goals in the field. Outside of his professional life, David loves attending concerts, festivals, playing his guitar and restoring and repairing all types of vehicles. **Credentials:** - OSHA 30 hr. Construction Safety Certified - Construction Software: SketchUp, Bluebeam Revu, Autodesk Suite (AutoCAD, Fusion, REVIT) - Mechanical Software: PTC CREO Parametric, Solidworks, MasterCAM ## Pricing **Tuition:** $799