Using Zoom Breakout Rooms

This is a wrap-up article of tips and links for using breakout rooms within Zoom. If you find resources related to Zoom breakout rooms, send your suggestions and we will add them!

Getting Started

Zoom has created these tutorials for using breakout rooms:

  • Managing Breakout Rooms  - gives a overview of how to set up and run this feature, as well as providing a short video demonstration and a discussion of limitations.
  • Pre-assigning participants to Breakout Rooms - shows an alternative to assigning participants after the meeting has started; instead, pre-assign them for the meeting by logging into your account on the Web. This article provides an example .csv file you can upload with your students names.
  • Participating in Breakout Rooms - gives an overview of the steps to participate in breakout rooms on different platforms (Windows/Mac/Linux/Web) and devices (Android/iOS/telephone)

 

Zoom warns that Chromebook/Chrome OS users cannot join breakout rooms. They suggest using the main meeting room as a separate "breakout" room for students on that platform.

Many institutions have created articles on how breakout rooms can be used with a class in Zoom to facilitate interactivity and group work. In particular, I like this one from University of Colorado Boulder's Center for Teaching and Learning:

  • Facilitate group work - In particular, check out the section "Keep students on track" for specific ideas for successfully integrating the rooms into your instructional plan. Also, be sure to watch their short video on using a Google Doc to structure students' group activity (linked within the page)