Pear Deck is a fantastic tool for creating interactive presentations and boosting classroom engagement. But when it comes to student participation, a common question arises: Do students absolutely need a Join PD account to join and interact with a presentation?
The Short Answer
No, students do not require their own Pear Deck account to participate in most Pear Deck sessions. This makes it convenient and accessible for students to join quickly.
How Students Join Sessions
Pear Deck provides two primary ways for students to join an active session:
- Join Code: When you start a Pear Deck presentation, a unique Join Code is generated and displayed on-screen. Students simply go to joinpd.com and enter this code to connect to the session.
- Join Link: You can also share a direct Join Link with students. Clicking this link automatically takes them into the session.
Guest Mode vs. Account Login
- Guest Mode: Most students will join as guests using either the Join Code or Join Link method. They can interact with your join Pear Deck slides and provide responses without creating a dedicated account.
- Account Login: Teachers can optionally require students to log in using their Google or Microsoft Office 365 accounts. This has some benefits, explained below.
Why Require Student Accounts?
Although not strictly necessary, there are advantages to having students sign in with an account:
- Tracking Individual Progress: When students log in, their responses are linked to their accounts. This allows you, as the teacher, to track individual student progress and understanding across multiple sessions.
- Saving Student Work: If students log in, their work or responses on certain interactive slides can be saved within their accounts, allowing for revisiting content later.
- Roster Integration: Pear Deck integrates with learning management systems (LMS) like Google Classroom, making it easier to manage student rosters if accounts are used.
Things to Note
- Privacy: Pear Deck takes student privacy seriously. Be sure to review their privacy policy if you have concerns about data collection.
- Accessibility: The ease of joining without an account is one of Pear Deck’s strengths. For younger students or quick, informal sessions, guest mode offers maximum accessibility.
You May Also Like – How to Join Nearpod Session Using join.nearpod.
Conclusion
Pear Deck prioritizes ease of access for students. While accounts aren’t mandatory for core functionality, logging in with existing school accounts unlocks additional benefits for tracking and managing student work. The best approach depends on your specific teaching needs and the level of assessment you require.
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