Pear Deck Tutor: Getting Started

What is Pear Deck Tutor (formerly TutorMe)?

Pear Deck Tutor is an online tutoring service for NSCC students.

• You can connect with qualified tutors, 24/7
• Tutors are experts in over 300 subjects
• You can access this service via chat, video or audio in real time
• NSCC students get 6 hours a month of free tutoring in Pear Deck Tutor. Hours renew at midnight the 1st of each month.
• Students are billed in 15 minute increments after 5 minutes. For example, if you use 6 minutes, you are billed for 15.

What happens if a student runs out of their monthly hours and they need more?

1. Students should contact their Student Services Advisor to have a conversation about their Pear Deck Tutor needs.
2. Students are also encouraged to explore the other available learning supports:
   • Writing Centre
   • Peer Assisted Learning Supports (PALS)
   • Cultural Tutoring Supports for eligible students. See Tutoring Services for details.
   • EAL supports
3. If the Student Services Advisor (SSA) confirms that additional Pear Deck Tutor hours are required, the SSA contacts the Manager, Libraries and Learning Commons to request the hours be added to the student account.

Please Note: All sessions in Pear Deck Tutor are recorded and can be accessed by both Pear Deck Tutor and NSCC for quality assurance purposes. The following NSCC policies apply to all Pear Deck Tutor sessions:  Academic Integrity Policy (PDF 48KB), Student Code of Conduct Policy (PDF 61KB), Respectful Community Policy (PDF 60KB) and Technology Resources - Acceptable Use Policy (PDF 169KB). Other NSCC policies may also apply.

How do I access Pear Deck Tutor?

Each of your Brightspace courses will have a TutorMe link in the menu bar.

Once you are in Pear Deck Tutor, select "Get tutoring help."

From there, choose the service you need:

• Request a Live Tutor
• Submit your writing assignment

Connect with a Live Tutor

Before you start, here are some tips for finding a good tutor match:

• Come prepared with a specific issue, problem or assignment.
• If the Topic you are looking for does not appear, go to a broader category. You’ll have a chance to be more specific in your description.
• Describe your problem in as much detail as possible. The description field can hold 1000 characters!
• Whenever possible, upload your assignment or a screen shot of the problem you are working on.

Once you are in Pear Deck Tutor, select Request a Live Tutor:

1. Choose a subject from one of the available options (click Other if you don't see your subject on the first page) and select Next.

2. Provide any additional information about your problem or assignment

• Within minutes you'll be directed to a tutor with experience in your topic
• Once a tutor has been selected, you enter a "waiting room" where you can determine if the tutor is a good match without using any of your 6 hour monthly allotment. If the tutor is not a good fit, you can go back and match with a different tutor.
• You can reconnect with a previous tutor by clicking the message icon in the top right corner of the home page.
• Once you are assigned a tutor, you'll meet in the lesson space where you can use chat, video or audio in real time.

About the Lesson Space

• When you enter the Lesson Space, audio/video turned off by default.
• Your tutor will lead the session
• You can activate the screen sharing button – for example, to demo software - this will help the tutor better understand your issue.
• You can turn on audio and/or video if you like. Or just use chat.
• The Lesson Space has a graphing calculator, math equations, code editor, and a text editor.
• Live sessions with your tutor are recorded and you can access recordings any time.

You can work with a tutor one or more times a month for up to 6 hours, free.

Writing Lab: get writing help

Once you are in Pear Deck Tutor, select Submit your writing assignment: 

• Select I understand to indicate you know this is a "Drop Off Paper Review" service only

• Provide information about your paper.
• Upload your paper. It has to be a MS Word document.

• Within 12 hours, a subject-specific tutor will review it and return it with comments.
• The tutor does not make changes in the paper.
• You can request a live tutor session when the paper is returned.

A student is charged 5 minutes for every 1500 characters. This would include the title page and bibliography. There is also 10 minutes applied for overall feedback/review, regardless of the length of the paper. They guarantee a 24 hour turnaround time but often get it back to a student before then.

Technology Requirements

• No special equipment -- You only need internet access to use this service, no special software is required. A camera or microphone is optional if you want video- or audio-conferencing. A quick plugin is required to allow the tutor to share their screen with you.
• Remote access -- NSCC Students can access the service from on or off campus.
• Recommended browser -- Chrome is recommended.
• Mobile device compatible -- Pear Deck Tutor is compatible with all tablets, native IOS and android apps. It can be used on mobile devices, but it is only chat-based for mobile.

Please Note: All sessions in Pear Deck Tutor are recorded and can be accessed by both Pear Deck Tutor and NSCC for quality assurance purposes. The following NSCC policies apply to all Pear Deck Tutor sessions:  Academic Integrity Policy (PDF 48KB), Student Code of Conduct Policy (PDF 61KB), Respectful Community Policy (PDF 60KB) and Technology Resources - Acceptable Use Policy (PDF 169KB). Other NSCC policies may also apply.