As the global shift to remote learning unfolded in response to COVID-19, Pear Deck, a leading edtech company, swiftly adapted by introducing three new product enhancements tailored to the evolving needs of K-12 educators. Since March 1, Pear Deck has tracked over 60 million Moments of Engagement between students and teachers in remote classrooms worldwide. A recent survey conducted by Pear Deck among 600 educators revealed that prior to the sudden transition to remote learning, less than half of the respondents used edtech tools more than once or twice a week. Additionally, only 13.3% of survey participants reported that their remote instruction was predominantly synchronous, prompting teachers to adjust instruction methods to facilitate more independent student work.
Since February, when Pear Deck began supporting educators affected by school closures in Taiwan and Hong Kong, the company has swiftly developed new infrastructure and support resources to accommodate the influx of new users. To date, Pear Deck has provided access to over 100,000 educators and 2.5 million users in remote classrooms globally.
Riley Eynon-Lynch, CEO and co-founder of Pear Deck, emphasized the critical need for effective remote classroom tools, stating, “We listened directly to educators to understand their most pressing needs and focused our efforts on designing and launching three product enhancements to address those needs.”
The newly introduced remote-learning product enhancements within Pear Deck include:
A one-click pathway to convert any Pear Deck into an asynchronous Student-Paced lesson. Add Audio, a feature enabling educators using Pear Deck for Google Slides to record or upload audio files to each slide. Students can listen to the audio clip on their own devices, enhancing accessibility and providing an additional method for teachers to deliver instruction or social-emotional support. Teacher Feedback (beta), a tool allowing teachers to provide individual students with clear, timely, and specific feedback directly within a Pear Deck lesson.
In addition to the remote learning survey, Pear Deck conducted an efficacy survey among over 1,000 Pear Deck users, revealing that over 91% of teachers consider Pear Deck to be an effective and indispensable tool for remote teaching.
Eynon-Lynch affirmed Pear Deck’s commitment to supporting schools and helping teachers deliver impactful learning experiences amid uncertain times. He stated, “Our team remains dedicated to innovation and addressing emerging needs as we continue to partner with schools to empower teachers and enhance learning outcomes.”