University Students’ Perceptions of Engagement in Pear Deck-Supported Synchronous Online Academic Writing Classes
This paper explores how university students perceived their engagement in Pear Deck-supported synchronous online academic writing classes.
Although interactive presentation tools are increasingly used in higher education, limited qualitative research has examined how students perceive their participation and learning experiences in technology-mediated academic writing, particularly in L2 contexts.
A qualitative descriptive design was adopted. Data were collected through an anonymous open-ended survey completed by 54 undergraduate students enrolled in an academic writing course at a Malaysian research university. The responses were analysed through qualitative descriptive thematic coding, informed by Braun and Clarke’s phases of thematic analysis, to identify descriptive patterns in students’ perceptions.
This paper contributes to technology-enhanced language learning and academic writing pedagogy by offering a practice-oriented account of students’ perceptions of the use of interactive slide affordances in synchronous online academic writing lessons. Specifically, the paper shows that participants perceived anonymity, multimodal response options, and real-time feedback as useful features in online writing lessons. These features appeared to support activities such as brainstorming, text annotation, idea organisation, and formative feedback.
The findings indicate that participants generally viewed the Pear Deck-supported lessons as supportive and participatory. Three themes were identified: positive, low-pressure virtual classroom experiences; opportunities for interaction and participation; and perceived support for understanding of academic writing concepts.
Academic writing instructors may use interactive slide tools to create low-pressure opportunities for participation, provide multiple response modes, and offer immediate formative feedback during synchronous online lessons.
Researchers could examine technology-mediated engagement in academic writing using larger samples, multiple data sources, and mixed-methods designs that capture both students’ perceptions and observable learning behaviours.
The study highlights how thoughtfully designed interactive technologies may help writing instructors create more inclusive and participatory online learning environments, especially for students who may feel anxious about contributing ideas in L2 academic writing classes.
Future research could investigate how interactive slide-supported engagement relates to writing development over time. Longitudinal, comparative, and mixed-methods studies are needed to examine the relationship between technology-mediated participation, feedback processes, and academic writing outcomes.
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