Mastering Zoom Breakout Rooms: A Comprehensive Guide

Breakout rooms in Zoom are the secret weapon of any engaging online meeting or class. They allow you to split your participants into smaller groups, fostering discussion, collaboration, and focused activity. Setting them up properly can transform a passive listening session into an active, participatory experience. Here’s how you master the art of setting up Zoom breakout rooms:

The core process boils down to three key methods: Manual assignment, automatic assignment, and letting participants choose their own room. Before a meeting, you can pre-assign participants by importing a CSV file or configuring everything directly within the Zoom platform. During a meeting, you can choose to automatically assign participants randomly, manually drag-and-drop them into specific rooms, or even let them self-select which room they want to join. The choice depends entirely on your meeting’s objectives and desired level of control.

Preparing for Breakout Room Bliss

Before even launching your Zoom meeting, consider these crucial preliminary steps:

• Enable Breakout Rooms: This sounds obvious, but it’s often overlooked. Head to your Zoom web portal, navigate to Settings > In Meeting (Advanced), and ensure the “Breakout Room” option is toggled ON. Also, check the box that says, “Allow hosts to pre-assign participants to breakout rooms.” This is your starting point.
• Planning is Paramount: What are your goals for using breakout rooms? Define clear tasks and discussion prompts for each group. Knowing what you want to achieve directly influences how you’ll structure the rooms.
• Consider Room Size: Think about the ideal group size for your activities. Smaller groups (3-4 people) often encourage more participation, while larger groups (5-7 people) can facilitate broader brainstorming.

Setting Up Breakout Rooms: The How-To

Now, let’s dive into the practical steps for setting up breakout rooms, both before and during your meeting.

Pre-Assigning Breakout Rooms (Before the Meeting)

Pre-assignment offers the most control and is ideal for structured activities with predetermined groups.

• Option 1: Using a CSV File:
  • Prepare a CSV file with two columns: “Email Address” and “Pre-assign Room Name.” Make sure the email addresses match those registered with Zoom.
  • In the Zoom web portal, go to Meetings and schedule your meeting.
  • In the meeting options, find the “Breakout Room pre-assign” section and click “Import from CSV.”
  • Upload your CSV file and verify that the assignments are correct.
• Option 2: Manual Pre-Assignment within Zoom:
  • Schedule your meeting.
  • In the meeting options, find the “Breakout Room pre-assign” section and click “Create Rooms.”
  • Add rooms and then click “Assign” next to each room.
  • Search for and add participants by name or email address.

Setting Up Breakout Rooms During the Meeting

This method is perfect for spontaneous discussions or when you want to adapt to the flow of the meeting.

• Accessing the Breakout Room Feature:
  • During your Zoom meeting, look for the “Breakout Rooms” icon in the meeting toolbar (usually at the bottom of your screen). If you don’t see it, check under the “More” button (three dots).
• Automatic Assignment:
  • Click the “Breakout Rooms” icon.
  • Choose the number of breakout rooms you want to create.
  • Select “Automatically” to have Zoom randomly assign participants to rooms.
  • Click “Create Breakout Rooms.”
• Manual Assignment:
  • Click the “Breakout Rooms” icon.
  • Choose the number of breakout rooms you want to create.
  • Select “Manually” to assign participants yourself.
  • Click “Create Breakout Rooms.”
  • Click “Assign” next to each room and select the participants you want to add.
• Let Participants Choose Their Room:
  • Click the “Breakout Rooms” icon.
  • Choose the number of breakout rooms you want to create.
  • Select “Let participants choose room.”
  • Click “Create Breakout Rooms.”
  • Participants will see a list of rooms and can join the one they prefer.

Managing Breakout Rooms

Once the rooms are created, you have several management options:

• Starting the Breakout Rooms: Click “Open All Rooms” to launch the breakout sessions.
• Joining a Breakout Room: As the host, you can join any breakout room to observe, facilitate, or answer questions. Click “Join” next to the room you want to enter.
• Broadcasting a Message: Send a message to all breakout rooms by clicking “Broadcast a message to all.” This is great for providing updates, reminders, or new instructions.
• Recreating Rooms: If you need to rearrange the groups, you can recreate the rooms entirely by clicking “Recreate.” This will clear all existing assignments.
• Ending the Breakout Rooms: Click “Close All Rooms” to end the breakout sessions. Participants will have a countdown timer (usually 60 seconds, configurable in settings) before being automatically returned to the main meeting room.

Advanced Tips and Tricks

• Set a Time Limit: Impose a time limit on breakout sessions. This creates a sense of urgency and encourages focused discussion. You can set this when you initially create the rooms.
• Provide Clear Instructions: Ensure participants understand the task and expected outcomes before they enter the breakout rooms. Clear instructions minimize confusion and maximize productivity.
• Use Shared Documents: Provide shared documents (e.g., Google Docs, shared Zoom Whiteboard) for collaborative note-taking or brainstorming.
• Designate a Room Leader: Assign a leader in each room to facilitate the discussion and report back to the main group. This promotes accountability and structure.
• Practice Makes Perfect: Experiment with different breakout room configurations and activities to find what works best for your audience and objectives.

Zoom Breakout Rooms: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 12 frequently asked questions to further enhance your understanding and usage of Zoom breakout rooms:

1. Can I create breakout rooms on the Zoom mobile app?

Yes, but with limitations. You can join a breakout room on the mobile app, but you generally cannot create or manage them. Creating and managing breakout rooms is best done from the desktop application.

2. How do I allow participants to record breakout room sessions?

Unfortunately, Zoom doesn’t natively allow individual participants to record breakout room sessions independently unless you specifically allow them to. The host or co-host can record the breakout rooms, but other participants will need explicit permission. Consider using alternative recording solutions if needed.

3. What happens to chat messages when a participant moves to a breakout room?

Chat messages from the main session are not transferred to the breakout room. The chat in the breakout room is separate. Any messages sent in the breakout room will not be visible in the main session chat, unless the participant copies and pastes them.

4. Can I move participants between breakout rooms during the session?

Absolutely! As the host, you can move participants between rooms at any time. Click on “Breakout Rooms” in your toolbar, then click “Move to” next to the participant’s name and select the destination room.

5. How do I know if someone in a breakout room needs help?

Participants in breakout rooms can click a “Ask for Help” button. This will notify the host, who can then join the room to assist. Enable this feature in settings for optimal support.

6. Can I schedule a meeting with pre-assigned breakout rooms using a recurring meeting ID?

Yes, you can! When scheduling your recurring meeting, configure the pre-assigned breakout rooms as described above. The assignments will be retained for each instance of the recurring meeting.

7. What are the limitations of using breakout rooms in a free Zoom account?

The features of the breakout room will be limited by the overall limitations of the free zoom account. Free accounts are limited to 40-minute meeting times, and the breakout rooms will close when that time limit is reached.

8. How can I ensure everyone understands the instructions before going into breakout rooms?

Before opening the rooms, clearly explain the task and expectations. Share a written document with instructions (via chat or screen share) and briefly review it. Ask for questions to clarify any confusion. Broadcasting a reminder message to all rooms after they’ve begun can also be helpful.

9. Can I use Zoom polls within breakout rooms?

Yes! You can launch polls in breakout rooms just like you would in the main session. Participants can respond to the poll within their respective breakout rooms.

10. What happens if a participant joins the meeting late after breakout rooms have already started?

The late-arriving participant will be placed in the main meeting room. You can then manually assign them to a breakout room by clicking “Breakout Rooms” and assigning them to the desired room.

11. Can I have different time limits for different breakout rooms?

Unfortunately, Zoom doesn’t offer the functionality to set different time limits for individual breakout rooms. The time limit applies globally to all rooms. Consider communicating different target end times for tasks within each room if needed.

12. How do I ensure that the screen share is working correctly with a breakout room?

Before starting the rooms, do a quick test and show someone how to share their screen, and make them the leader of that breakout room. Give them some practice so you won’t have any issues once they get put into the rooms.

By mastering these techniques and answering these frequently asked questions, you’ll be well-equipped to leverage Zoom breakout rooms for more engaging and productive online meetings and classes. Good luck, and happy Zooming!