Topic Hubs

What does this do?

A revision page for one topic that you pin to the top of a class space. It can hold text, key points, key terms, exam tips, images, YouTube or Vimeo videos, audio clips, links to NotebookLM or Google Drive, downloads, flashcards, a mind map, a retrieval grid, a game, exam practice marked by AI, and a "Can you now…?" checklist. Every pupil in the class sees it until you unpin it.

When should I use it?

Use a Topic Hub for anything pupils should come back to on their own: revision before a test, a catch-up page for pupils who were absent, or a home for the resources that belong to one unit. Write one by hand, or let AI draft it from a topic, your own notes, the curriculum or lessons you have taught.

Watch this

• Build a Topic Hub and pin it to a classWatch on YouTube — 2:00

How do I use it?

1. 1Open Topic Hubs from the Create section of the side menu
2. 2Choose New Topic Hub to start from a blank page, or Create with AI to have a draft written for you
3. 3In the editor, add blocks with Add a block and use the arrows to put them in order — changes save on their own
4. 4Keep the preview open: it shows exactly what pupils will see, and leaves out anything empty or unsafe
5. 5Give every image a description for pupils who use a screen reader
6. 6Choose Pin to classes and pin it to one or more classes
7. 7Open the class space: the hub now sits at the top under Pinned to the top

Common mistakes

• Pinning to a class whose space is closed — pupils only see pinned hubs once the class space is open
• Sharing a NotebookLM notebook that is not set to "Anyone with the link" — pupils will not be able to open it
• Expecting a link that does not start with https:// to appear — it is left out for pupils, and the editor warns you
• Thinking deleting a hub keeps it on the class space — deleting takes it off every class it was pinned to
• Leaving an image without a description — if it ever fails to load, a pupil using a screen reader gets nothing

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