Application Cards
Application Cards challenge students to apply a concept or skill to a new scenario, fostering transfer of knowledge and critical thinking. By engaging students in this process, instructors can assess students’ ability to make connections and use concepts in novel contexts.
How It Works
- Pose a Challenge: Present students with a concept or skill from the lesson and ask them to apply it to a new, real-world scenario or generate examples.
- Write Responses: Students write brief responses on index cards, sticky notes, or digital platforms.
- Share and Discuss: Students share their applications with peers or the class, discussing their ideas and reasoning.
Example
In a marketing class, after a lecture on branding strategies, students are asked to apply the concept by designing a brief strategy for a fictional product (e.g., branding a sustainable energy drink). They describe key branding elements, such as target audience and unique selling points, on their cards.
Why It’s Effective
- Encourages active engagement with course content, prompting students to think critically and creatively.
- Provides immediate insight into student understanding for instructors, helping identify areas needing clarification.
- Reinforces knowledge by requiring students to transfer it to new and varied contexts.
Adaptations
- Small Classes: Collect application cards and use them to spark class discussion or as a basis for small group activities.
- Large Classes: Use digital tools (e.g., Padlet, Google Forms) for submission and display responses on-screen for class review.
- Online Synchronous: Assign students to breakout rooms to discuss their applications before sharing with the class via chat or polls.
- Online Asynchronous: Have students submit their responses on a discussion board and comment on each other’s ideas.
- STEM Disciplines: Ask students to apply a formula or principle to solve a novel problem, such as designing a circuit using Ohm’s Law.
- Humanities: Have students generate examples, such as applying a philosophical theory to a current ethical dilemma.
- Creative Fields: Task students with applying design principles to critique or improve an existing product or artwork.
Application Cards offer a concise, adaptable way to assess and deepen students’ understanding while promoting practical application of course material.
Sources and Attribution
Primary Sources
This section is informed by and adapted from the following sources:
- University of Waterloo, Centre for Teaching Excellence. Active Learning Activities.
- Available at: Waterloo CTE
Use of AI in Section Development
This section was developed using a combination of existing research, expert-informed insights, and AI-assisted drafting. ChatGPT (OpenAI) was used to:
- Synthesize best practices for active learning strategies into a cohesive and accessible guide for instructors.
- Clarify approaches that promote student engagement, participation, and deeper learning.
- Enhance readability and coherence, ensuring that active learning techniques are both research-based and practically applicable in face-to-face and online classrooms.
While AI-assisted drafting provided a structured foundation, all final content was reviewed, revised, and contextualized to ensure accuracy, alignment with research, and pedagogical effectiveness. This section remains grounded in institutional best practices and respects Creative Commons licensing where applicable.
