Cards

Cards (a.k.a. Concept cards, Flash cards, MUD cards, Visual aids), are physical cards that can be used in a variety of different ways to promote active learning. Rather than using flash cards for more traditional learning methods such as rote memorisation, active learning uses cards in a more effective way for physical representations of ideas or graphical representations that can be ordered, ranked, sorted or put into diagrams and structures.

What are MUD cards?

MUD cards refer to the practice where students are each given a blank card and asked to write down the “muddiest” part of the learning session, or the part that was most difficult to understand. These are gathered and addressed.

Cards are

effective for:

best to pair with:

  • categorising and ordering knowledge
  • collaboration and cooperation
  • critical thinking
  • decision-making
  • conceptualising systems, structures or processes
  • immediate feedback.
  • brainstorming
  • categorising grid
  • concept maps
  • interactive diagrams
  • memory matrix
  • minute paper
  • misconception checks.

Example 1

Students are given cards with different parts of a process and collaborate in small groups to discuss and organise the cards into the desired structure or process. Educators have an example of the desired solution available to show and allow discussion at the end.

Example 2

Students are given a range of cards related to the concept. This activity works best if students are not given any direction in terms of how the cards should be ordered, as they engage in critical thinking and discussion to negotiate with one another. Results are shown to other groups and students discuss the merits of each chosen arrangement. Variations of this activity can require students to reorganise cards to make rows, matrices, tiers or other shapes. Additionally, you can use images rather than key words, which encourages students to discuss the features of the image and how they relate, or whether they are examples of the topic in question when addressing the question or deciding how to arrange them.