Breakout Rooms
Breakout rooms are a great option for small group discussions and small group work. Click on the "Breakout Rooms" button in your control panel to randomize groups, manually assign people to groups, or have your students self-select (move themselves into) groups. As the instructor, you have the ability to visit groups. You can also broadcast a typed message to all the groups.
Note: Students who join through their browsers, rather than the (downloaded and installed) Zoom application, cannot participate in breakout rooms. A workaround is to leave browser users in the main room as a group. Or you can tell students in advance that they must use a device on which they can install the application.
(If the video below looks fuzzy, click on the settings cog in the bottom right of the video pane and choose 720HD. The playback quality depends on your internet connection.)
How to use Self-Selected Breakout Rooms
Zoom's self-select breakout room option enables you to create a number of empty breakout rooms and allows your students to select which breakout room they'll join.
Note: To utilize this feature you and your students will need to have updated your Zoom software and be running Zoom version 5.3.0 or later.
Click "Breakout Rooms" from your Zoom toolbar.
- Indicate how many rooms you want to create, and select "Let participants choose room."
- You'll now see a list of your empty rooms. Click the "Open All Rooms" button to enable students to choose their rooms.
- A list of your students will appear and you can watch as they move into their breakout rooms.
What Happens if a Student Doesn't Join a Breakout Room?
They'll still be with you in the main session. This may occur if a student hasn't updated their Zoom software. You'll still be able to manually assign a student to a room by clicking "Assign to" and choosing a room number.
What if Someone Goes to the Wrong Room?
You can move them into another room by clicking "Move to" next to their name and choosing the correct room. Alternatively, you can instruct students to move themselves into the correct room.
Make a copy of our template which you can edit and share with students ahead of class so they know which breakout room to join. It also contains instructions for students on moving themselves into their breakout rooms.
SELF-SELECTED BREAKOUT ROOM TEMPLATE
Pre-assigning Breakout Rooms
It is possible to pre-assign breakout rooms, which is especially useful if you want to place students in specific groups during the Zoom meeting. Please note that this feature is unreliable and will not always work, even if you follow the instructions exactly. Click here for instructions on how to pre-assign breakout rooms.
Recommendations for using Breakout Rooms during class:
- Breakout rooms can be pre-assigned, but some have found that tricky. A good alternative is to assign group numbers to students before the meeting and then choose the option to “Let participants choose room”. Students can then move themselves into the room that corresponds with their group number.
- Give students a concrete charge/assignment to work on or discuss and a time limit before sending them off. Visit a room or two quickly if you want to engage them. Then return to the class and ask someone from each room to summarize what they found. Be very clear about how much time each group will have to speak and stick to this time (almost everything seems to take longer in the virtual space).
- Use the broadcast function in breakout rooms to remind students of the question or task. In some circ*mstances it can be valuable to let them discuss one question, then broadcast a logical next question a few minutes later, while keeping them in rooms.
- Make it a point to visit as many breakout rooms as you can during class, and reference what you heard in those rooms during the debriefing. This lets students know that you’re involved and listening.
- Sorting students into new breakout rooms at logical points during class can reenergize discussion by allowing students to interact with others -- for example, if you’re doing an exercise in the first half of class and a case in the second half, resorting the break out rooms in the middle can add interest.
- When budgeting time for breakout rooms, include time for students to reconnect and chat with each other. Explicitly state “when you get to your breakouts, be sure to reconnect with each other and check-in before you get to work”. You think this will cost you time but it will save you time -- go slow to go fast.
