Submit cards transform passive learning into active practice by prompting learners to provide tangible evidence of skill application. Instead of just knowing what to do, learners demonstrate they've actually done it—whether that's recording a practice pitch, photographing a completed checklist, or submitting proof of a real-world task. This article explains how to configure Submit cards, what learners experience, and how to use submission data to measure genuine behavior change.
Table of Contents
What Are Submit Cards and Why They Matter
Purpose and Philosophy
Submit cards are a very powerful tool for performance activation, they create accountability moments where learners must apply what they've learned in real-world contexts. While other card types check understanding or present information, Submit cards specifically drive behavior change by requiring learners to take action and provide evidence.
Submit cards support two submission types:
Image submissions – Learners take photos or upload images from their device
Audio submissions – Learners record themselves or upload pre-recorded audio files
Why Submit Cards Drive Results
Traditional training often stops at knowledge transfer. Submit cards ensure learners actually do the thing:
Sales teams record practice pitches and objection handling
Retail staff photograph visual merchandising displays they've created
Healthcare workers submit photos of properly completed safety checklists
Service teams record customer interaction role-plays
Field technicians photograph completed equipment setup
According to 7taps clients, this approach makes employees feel 42% more confident when it's time to perform—because they've already practiced in a low-stakes environment.
What Makes Submit Cards Different
Submit cards create a commitment device. Learners can't just click through, they must pause, complete a real task, and provide proof. This:
Increases retention through active practice
Builds confidence before high-stakes situations
Provides you with concrete evidence of skill application
Identifies who needs additional support
Creating a Submit Card: Configuration Options
Basic Setup
To add a Submit card to your course:
Choose the Submit card from the card menu on the right side
Select whether you want Image or Audio submissions
Enter your prompt text
Writing Effective Prompts
Your prompt should:
Explain exactly what to submit (not just "submit a photo")
Connect to the learning objective from the preceding cards
Set clear quality expectations when relevant
Examples of effective prompts:
✅ Good: "Record yourself delivering your elevator pitch using the 3-point framework from the previous card. Aim for 60-90 seconds."
❌ Weak: "Record your pitch."
✅ Good: "Take a photo of your completed pre-shift safety checklist. Make sure all items are visible and checked off."
❌ Weak: "Submit a photo of your checklist."
Image vs. Audio: Choosing the Right Format
Use Image Submissions When | Use Audio Submissions When |
Visual proof of completion is needed | Verbal communication skills are being practiced |
Physical setup or arrangement matters | Tone, pace, or delivery needs assessment |
Documenting written work or checklists | Recording explanations or reasoning |
Capturing environmental context | Practicing scripts or presentations |
Showing before/after states | Demonstrating active listening responses |
The "Required to Proceed" Setting
⚠️ Critical Decision Point
When you click the Settings gear icon on a Submit card, you'll see a toggle for
"Required to proceed":
Toggle ON: Learners must submit a file before they can advance to the next card
Toggle OFF (default): Learners can skip the submission and continue through the course
When to require submission:
High-stakes skill practice (safety procedures, compliance tasks)
Courses where application is the entire point
When you need 100% participation data
When to make it optional:
Exploratory or introductory courses
When submission barriers might be high (camera access, privacy concerns)
When you want to gauge voluntary engagement
Remember: Even if not required, learners still see the submission prompt—they just have the option to skip it.
The Learner Experience: What Happens When They Submit
What Learners See
When a learner encounters a Submit card:
They see your custom prompt explaining what to submit
Below the prompt, they see a submission interface with either:
📷 "Upload a photo" button (for image cards)
🎤 "Record or upload audio" options (for audio cards)
Helpful clarifying text that explains: "This is where your learners can take a photo from their device's camera or upload an image file. Once submitted, a response cannot be edited. You'll be able to view all uploads in the course analytics."
Image Submission Flow
For image Submit cards, learners can:
Take a photo directly using their device's camera
Upload an existing image from their device's photo library
Once they tap the upload button, they:
Grant camera/photo permissions (if not already granted)
Either take a new photo or select from existing images
Preview the image before submitting
Submit (submissions are final and cannot be edited by learners)
Audio Submission Flow
For audio Submit cards, learners see two options:
"Select from device" – Upload a pre-recorded audio file
"Record audio" – Record directly within the 7taps interface
When recording:
Learners grant microphone permissions (if needed)
Tap to start recording
See a timer counting up (max 3 minutes)
Stop recording when finished
Preview the recording
Submit (submissions are final and cannot be edited by learners)
What Learners Can't Do
⚠️ Important Limitations:
Learners cannot edit or delete submissions after submitting
Learners cannot see others' submissions (this is not a social sharing feature)
Learners cannot re-submit even if they made a mistake (unless they retake the entire course)
This is intentional. It ensures authentic first-attempt practice and prevents endless revisions that reduce the learning value.
Technical Specifications and Limits
Image Submission Limits
Maximum file size: 10 MB per image
Supported formats: JPG, PNG, HEIC (most standard image formats)
Resolution: No minimum, but higher resolution = larger file size
Number of images: One image per Submit card
What happens if a file is too large? Learners receive an error message and must choose a different image or compress the file before uploading.
Audio Submission Limits
Maximum recording length: 3 minutes
Maximum file size: Typically within limits if recorded in-app; pre-recorded files should stay under 25 MB
Supported formats: MP3, M4A, WAV, and most standard audio formats
Number of recordings: One audio file per Submit card
What happens if recording exceeds 3 minutes? The recording automatically stops at the 3-minute mark. Learners should plan their responses to fit within this limit.
Storage and Retention
Submissions are stored indefinitely as long as the course exists
Deleting a course deletes all associated submissions
Submissions are not accessible to learners after the course is completed—only course creators can view them in analytics
Viewing and Analyzing Submissions
Where to Find Submissions
All learner submissions appear in your course analytics:
Open the course containing Submit cards
Navigate to the Statistics or Analytics tab
Find the Submit card section
View all submissions organized by learner and timestamp
What You Can See
For each submission, you can view:
Learner name or ID (if tracking is enabled)
The actual submission (image or audio playback)
Context from the rest of their course completion (quiz scores, other responses)
Using Submission Data for Coaching
Submit cards create coaching opportunities that weren't possible before:
Sales example: Review recorded pitches to identify patterns:
Who's confidently using the new framework?
Who's still hesitating or reverting to old approaches?
Which team members need targeted follow-up coaching?
Operational example: Review submitted photos of completed checklists:
Are steps being skipped?
Are certain locations consistently missing items?
Do new hires need additional support?
Best practice: Schedule regular "submission review" sessions where you sample submissions and provide group feedback (without calling out individuals) in team meetings.
Strategic Use Cases for Submit Cards
Sales Enablement: Practice Before Performance
Scenario: New product launch requires sales team to master a new positioning framework.
Submit card approach:
Course teaches the 3-part framework
Submit card prompts: "Record yourself delivering the positioning statement for [Product X] using the framework. Target 90 seconds."
Review submissions to identify who's ready and who needs coaching
Result: Sales reps gain confidence through practice, and managers can provide targeted support before customer-facing situations.
Retail: Visual Merchandising Verification
Scenario: New holiday display standards need to be implemented across 200+ store locations.
Submit card approach:
Course shows examples of proper display setup
Submit card prompts: "Photograph your completed holiday display showing the featured products in the correct arrangement."
Review photos to verify compliance and identify displays needing correction
Result: Visual proof of implementation + early identification of locations needing support.
Healthcare: Safety Protocol Compliance
Scenario: New hand hygiene protocol must be consistently followed across all nursing staff.
Submit card approach:
Course walks through the updated 7-step protocol
Submit card prompts: "Take a photo of your completed hand hygiene poster displayed in your station, showing all 7 steps clearly visible."
Track which units have posted the reference materials
Result: Tangible evidence that reference materials are accessible at point of care.
Customer Support: Soft Skills Practice
Scenario: Support team needs to improve empathy and de-escalation language.
Submit card approach:
Course teaches empathy phrases and de-escalation techniques
Submit card prompts: "Record yourself responding to this angry customer scenario using at least 2 empathy phrases from the lesson."
Review submissions to assess tone, pace, and phrase usage
Result: Skill development through low-stakes practice with constructive feedback opportunities.
Leadership Development: Feedback Practice
Scenario: New managers struggle with giving constructive feedback.
Submit card approach:
Course teaches the SBI (Situation-Behavior-Impact) feedback model
Submit card prompts: "Record yourself delivering feedback on this scenario using the SBI model. Keep it under 90 seconds."
Managers can self-assess by listening to their recording and comparing to the model
Result: Private practice space before real feedback conversations.
Best Practices for Maximum Impact
1. Set Context Before the Submit Card
Don't surprise learners with a submission requirement. Prepare them by:
Explaining upfront that practice is coming
Teaching the skill or showing examples first
Using a Rate card before the Submit card to ask: "How confident do you feel about [skill]?" (This primes them for practice and lets you track confidence shifts)
Example flow:
Card 1-3: Teach the skill
Card 4: Rate card – "How confident are you in delivering this pitch?" (1-5 scale)
Card 5: Submit card – "Now record your practice pitch"
Card 6: Rate card – "After practicing, how confident do you feel?" (measure the confidence lift)
2. Make Prompts Specific and Action-Oriented
Generic prompts create confusion and low-quality submissions.
❌ Vague: "Submit something related to today's topic."
✅ Specific: "Record yourself role-playing a customer objection response using the 'Acknowledge-Reframe-Evidence' technique from card 3. Choose one of these objections: [list 3 common objections]."
3. Lower the Stakes for First-Time Users
If learners have never used Submit cards before, ease them in:
Start with optional submissions (toggle "Required to proceed" OFF)
Use low-pressure scenarios ("Practice with a colleague" rather than "Submit your actual customer call")
Provide examples of good submissions when possible
4. Close the Loop: Follow Up on Submissions
The most powerful aspect of Submit cards is what you do with the data:
Don't do this:
Collect submissions and never reference them again
Provide no feedback or acknowledgment
Do this instead:
Review a sample of submissions weekly
Share anonymized insights in team meetings ("I noticed many of you are nailing the opening but rushing the close—let's practice that")
Send individual coaching messages to learners who need support
Celebrate great examples (with permission) to set standards
5. Combine Submit Cards with Learning Paths
Submit cards become even more effective when used in spaced learning sequences:
Example: Sales Enablement Path
Course 1: Teach new objection handling framework
Course 2 (3 days later): Submit card – "Record yourself handling [Objection A]"
Course 3 (7 days later): Submit card – "Record yourself handling [Objection B]" (different scenario, same framework)
Course 4 (14 days later): Reflection—"How has the framework changed your actual conversations?"
This creates repeated practice over time, which is far more effective than one-time practice.
6. Respect Privacy and Psychological Safety
Some learners feel uncomfortable recording themselves or submitting photos. Create safety by:
Explaining who will see submissions (only course creators, not peers)
Clarifying how submissions will be used (coaching, not evaluation)
Making early submissions optional to build comfort
Never publicly criticizing submissions (use them for private coaching only)
Common Questions About Submit Cards
Q: Can learners edit or delete their submission after submitting?
No. Submissions are final once submitted. This is intentional—it mirrors real-world performance where you can't take back what you've said or done. It also prevents endless revisions that reduce the learning value.
Q: Can I see who skipped a Submit card?
Yes, in your analytics. You'll see:
Learners who submitted (with their files)
Learners who viewed the Submit card but didn't submit
Learners who didn't reach the Submit card at all
This helps you identify who may need a nudge or follow-up.
Q: What if a learner doesn't have a camera or microphone?
If a learner's device lacks the necessary hardware, they can:
For images: Upload an existing photo instead of taking one
For audio: Upload a pre-recorded file created on another device
If you've set "Required to proceed" to ON and they truly cannot submit, they'll be stuck. Consider this when deciding whether to require submissions for all learners.
Q: Can I set a minimum or maximum duration for audio recordings?
Not currently. The 3-minute maximum is enforced by the platform, but you can't set custom durations. However, you can guide learners in your prompt: "Keep your response between 60-90 seconds."
Q: Do submissions count toward course completion?
Yes, if you've toggled "Required to proceed" ON. In this case, learners must submit before they can finish the course.
If "Required to proceed" is OFF, learners can complete the course without submitting, but you'll be able to see in analytics who skipped the submission.
Q: Can learners see each other's submissions?
No. Submissions are only visible to course creators in the analytics dashboard. Learners cannot see peer submissions.
If you want to create a social learning experience, you'd need to use a different approach (like asking learners to share submissions in Slack or Teams separately).
Q: What happens to submissions if I delete the course?
All submissions are permanently deleted along with the course. If you need to preserve submission data, download or document it before deleting the course.
Q: Can I download all submissions at once?
Yes! In the course responses tab you can download a single zip file with all submissions
Q: Why can't learners submit video?
7taps focuses on low-barrier microlearning. Video files are much larger than audio or images, creating:
Upload time delays
Storage limitations
Playback issues on varying devices
Audio submissions capture most of the value of verbal practice (tone, pacing, content) without the technical overhead. Images capture visual evidence efficiently.
If video is essential for your use case, consider asking learners to upload a video to a shared drive and submit a screenshot of the uploaded file or a link via a Form card instead.
When to Use Submit Cards
Submit cards are ideal when you need:
Evidence of Real-World Application
Sales reps practicing new pitches
Managers delivering feedback conversations
Healthcare workers following new protocols
Retail staff implementing merchandising standards
Skill Development Through Practice
Customer service teams role-playing difficult scenarios
New hires practicing procedures in safe environments
Field teams demonstrating proper equipment setup
Accountability and Verification
Confirming safety checklists are completed
Verifying training materials are posted in workspaces
Ensuring new processes are being followed
Coaching Opportunities
Identifying who needs additional support
Spotting patterns across team submissions
Providing targeted feedback based on actual performance
Getting Help
Need support with Submit cards or have questions not covered here?
Contact our team: Click the Help button in your 7taps dashboard or email support@7taps.com
Remember: Submit cards aren't just about collecting files—they're about creating moments where learning becomes action. Use them strategically to bridge the knowing-doing gap and drive real behavior change in your organization.