How We Are Listening and Learning to Improve Online Tutoring

At Pear Deck Tutor (formerly TutorMe), we're not only dedicated to delivering high-quality tutoring across all grade levels but also to being a trustworthy partner. We’re not here to just talk – we’re here to listen and learn so we can continuously improve online tutoring. We believe the strength of our service is found in our commitment to listen to those we serve and improve from those conversations.

Creating the best possible learning environment for students is a monumental task for educators, administrators, and students’ families. This challenge can be addressed through personalized learning support, which meets each student at the level they need, boosts students’ confidence, and alleviates the burden of differentiation for educators. Tutoring can create a personalized learning experience – but great online tutoring needs a platform that continuously seeks to improve students’ experience so students are confident seeking out 1:1 support whenever they need it.‍

Our commitment 

We know understanding the needs and challenges faced by our users – students, educators, administrators, and tutors – is the key to delivering an impactful tutoring experience. To continuously listen and learn, TutorMe devotes significant time and effort to user-centered research.

How do we do it? 

To understand and address the needs of our community, we conduct in-depth interviews, surveys, and research calls with the people who use our platform – and those who’ve had a hard time getting started. This extensive, first-hand feedback helps us gain a comprehensive understanding of the unique challenges faced by each group of users and the priorities that can be addressed through tutoring. 

Our commitment to this user-centered approach enables us to develop solutions that resonate with the needs of students, support educators, and fuel administrator’s goals, creating a ripple effect to the entire community. 

Let’s take a peek behind the curtain. 

In the past two months alone, Pear Deck Tutor has gathered new insights and feedback from: 

• 1,200 survey responses from educators
• 202 survey responses from tutors who are part of the TutorMe community 
• 10 usability tests sessions with students and their caregivers
• 11 user interviews with current educators 
• Three roundtable discussions with former educators and administrators
• 20 user interviews and usability tests with active tutors on our platform 
• Five in-depth conversations with K-12 administrators and college directors reflecting on their Pear Deck Tutor experience (still in process, with even more great learning to come!) 

Aware that we don’t hold all the answers, we’re thankful and humbled by the input of these individuals. Our Relationship Managers, Customer Success, and Customer Experience teams are also hard at work tracking the invaluable feedback we receive from our districts, campuses, and users. Their daily insights help us continuously improve our platform and resources. 

It’s only together that we can build a tutoring solution that’s truly equitable, impactful, and effective. 

Our process of continuous improvement for students  

One of the primary groups we focus our research efforts on is the learner because helping students thrive is what makes our customers – and our Pear Deck Tutor team members – wake up in the morning. 

Our student-focused research is aimed at: 

1) gaining insight into general areas for improvement for usability, particularly for young audiences (i.e., language, navigability, accessibility) and 

2) exploring how students perceive Pear Deck Tutor and the value of tutoring. 

By understanding the usability challenges faced by students, we can continue to improve and create an even more intuitive platform that caters to the specific and current needs of students. 

By examining students' perceptions of Pear Deck Tutor  and the overall value of tutoring, we can address any misconceptions or barriers to engagement and ensure our platform delivers a truly valuable learning experience. We’ve learned this is a key component to driving usage and adoption.

With the insights gained from our research, we're able to enhance the user experience for students. From streamlining the onboarding process to optimizing the user interface, we make it easier for students to access the resources they need to succeed academically and grow in their confidence. Additionally, our platform is designed to support a variety of learning preferences, ensuring each student receives personalized support tailored to their needs.

How are we improving for teachers? 

When conducting research with educators, one of our primary objectives is to explore how online tutoring services can provide value to teachers. Pear Deck Tutor  should never be the star of the show; we are simply playing second fiddle to the true heroes: educators. 

Increasing our understanding of how they would ideally implement tutoring in their classrooms allows us to align our platform with the opportunities and challenges of the school day so Pear Deck Tutor becomes an integral part of their toolkit. 

By understanding the specific ways in which teachers would like to integrate online tutoring into their curriculum, feedback cadences, or instructional practices, we can develop features and resources that enhance their instructional strategies rather than compete with them. 

We understand the immense responsibility educators shoulder in shaping the future of their students. That's why we're dedicated to creating solutions that complement their efforts and make Pear Deck Tutor an even more helpful support system.

Our commitment to you 

At the heart of our approach is Pear Deck Tutor’s core value that drives everything we do: always be listening and learning, so we can continue to help improve student learning. 

We don't just listen to our users and customers; we actively engage in a process of analyzing and learning from their feedback. By collecting data from various touch points, we're able to identify patterns and trends that guide our product development, ensuring we're always working to make our platform better for all users.

In today's rapidly evolving educational landscape, partnering with a tutoring provider that is not only effective but also committed to understanding your needs is essential. At Pear Deck Tutor, our unwavering dedication to listening, learning, and improving ensures we remain a trustworthy partner for K-12 schools and districts. 

‍