Fun, Interactive Learning Experience Using Nearpod and Pear Deck

Do you want to create an interactive and engaging learning experience in the classroom? Ensure students' participation or collaboration via various fun activities instead of just being a passive listener? Get immediate students feedback and having your assignment graded for you? Students get creative and have agency towards their own learning? 

All of the above can be achieved using two powerful learning platforms, namely Nearpod and Pear Deck. These tools are like Powerpoint or Google Slides presentation but so much better with interactivity features that get 100% students' participation with fun, interactive activities delivered synchronously on all devices.

Nearpod

Start by signing up for free as a Teacher via their webpage. Once you're in, you can explore and search for tons of lessons available in the Nearpod lessons library and by using the filter on the left-hand side, you can narrow your search down for more specific results.

Once you've found your lesson, you have the option to add it to your library or share the lesson link to others. You can also edit, duplicate, delete etc. When you're ready to launch the lesson, click the "Live Lesson" button and students will be prompted to join using a unique code displayed on the screen. 

Getting started and launching Nearpod lesson (Teacher's view)

                                                      Nearpod lesson (Student's view)



You can also create your own Nearpod lesson either from Nearpod itself or from Google Slides.  

Creating your own lesson in Nearpod 

Creating your own lesson in Google Slide

                                                     

Pear Deck

To start off, sign up for free as a Teacher via this website. Next, you can create your Pear Deck presentation in Google Slides by clicking the "Create a Presentation" button which will bring you to a new Untitled Presentation presentation. Just follow the instructions on how to create an interactive Pear Deck presentation on the slide.

When you're ready to launch the lesson, click the "Present Lesson" button and students will be prompted to join using a unique code displayed on the screen. 

                   Getting Started and launching PearDeck Lesson (Teacher's view)

Features Comparison

Both Nearpod and Pear Deck offer a variety of question type and activities to assess students, but more importantly, these tools help to increase student engagement. Both tools offer free as well as paid versions and integration with Google Classroom.

Through Nearpod, all question types are available in the free version (Open-ended, Polls, Quiz, Draw and Collaborate), whereas in Pear Deck, only three types of questions are available in the free version ( Multiple choices, Numbers and Text).

Nearpod has the edge with its library of thousands of lessons of different content and grade, ready for free download and customization. In PearDeck, there are a few free sample decks available to download and copy in your drive.

Nearpod also enables students to experience Virtual Reality (VR), by interacting with 3D shapes or going on a virtual trip, powered by 360 cities, right from the classroom.