Photo by: mwitt1337 via Canva
During a virtual classroom session, breakout rooms provide many opportunities for both the learners and the instructor. Breakout rooms allow larger groups to be split into smaller groups, giving learners a chance to collaborate with their peers, build rapport with one another, and hear a variety of voices (other than just the instructor!). At the same time, while monitoring each group, the instructor can check in with the learners to see what they’re grasping or struggling with.
Here are some tips for setting your learners up for success in a virtual breakout room:
Assign Roles
Before you send your learners off to their breakout rooms, give them roles such as scribe and spokesperson. Setting this up beforehand saves time for the learners once they’re in the breakout rooms. They can start their assigned task without first having to figure out who will write on the whiteboard or present the content once back in the main room.
Keep a Similar Routine
Conduct your breakout activities in a consistent format for each session. This way the learners know what to expect and don’t need to adjust to a new process each time they go into a breakout room. Learners can get right to work and focus on the exercise.
Monitor Your Learners
Just as you would do in a traditional classroom, take time to move from group to group and monitor their progress. Doing this allows you to ensure the groups are on track, give feedback on the spot, and answer any questions from the learners.
Time is of the essence in the virtual classroom and breakout rooms allow for increased simultaneous interaction. In other words, they’re a great way to incorporate things like case studies, brainstorming, and other projects that would take too long as a large group discussion in the main room.
As the instructor, take the time to ensure your learners are set up for success in the breakout rooms and use them as a way to observe the progress and make any adjustments as needed.
Additional resource: The Benefits of Using Breakout Rooms in the Virtual Classroom [Video]
Check out our Maximizing Engagement in the Virtual Classroom workshop for a variety of ways to make the most of your breakout rooms.
