Using Breakout Rooms in Zoom

Breakout Rooms are particularly effective for increasing participation, as students are often more comfortable contributing in smaller groups than in a large class. Zoom allows instructors to assign students automatically, manually, or let students choose their own room. Instructors can also move between rooms, broadcast messages to all groups, and pre-assign participants before class.

Breakout Rooms can help students:

• Collaborate in small groups.
• Discuss course concepts.
• Solve problems together.
• Analyze case studies.
• Build community and peer connections.
• Increase participation during synchronous sessions.

To create productive breakout room experiences:

• Clearly explain the activity before opening the rooms.
• Provide written instructions or discussion prompts.
• Assign a specific task or deliverable.
• Consider assigning group roles (e.g., facilitator, recorder, reporter).
• Set a time limit and communicate remaining time.
• Visit rooms periodically to answer questions and monitor progress.
• Debrief as a class after students return to the main session.

Breakout Rooms work well for:

• Think-Pair-Share.
• Case study discussions.
• Problem-solving activities.
• Peer review.
• Team-based learning.
• Brainstorming sessions.
• Jigsaw activities.

Zoom Breakout Rooms help transform synchronous sessions into active, collaborative learning experiences. By pairing clear instructions with purposeful activities, instructors can encourage meaningful discussion, increase engagement, and create opportunities for every student to participate.

• Zoom Breakout Rooms: Create Focused Discussions