How to Master Zoom Breakout Rooms: A Comprehensive Guide

Putting people into breakout rooms on Zoom is achieved through a few straightforward methods accessible within the Zoom platform. As the host, you can choose to assign participants manually, automatically, or let them self-select their breakout rooms, tailoring the experience to your specific meeting or webinar needs.

Understanding Zoom Breakout Rooms: A Deep Dive

Breakout rooms are a powerful feature of Zoom that allow you to divide your meeting participants into smaller groups for focused discussions, collaborative activities, or specific task assignments. They essentially create smaller, isolated Zoom meetings within the larger one. This feature is incredibly valuable for educators, trainers, facilitators, and anyone who wants to foster engagement and interaction in online settings. Let’s explore how to leverage this function effectively.

Accessing Breakout Room Functionality

Before you can dive into creating and managing breakout rooms, make sure the feature is enabled. Typically, it’s enabled by default, but it’s worth verifying. Here’s how:

• Log in to the Zoom web portal: Open your browser and go to the Zoom website. Sign in with your account credentials.
• Navigate to Settings: In the left-hand navigation menu, click on “Settings.”
• Find the Breakout Room option: In the “Meeting” tab, use the search bar or scroll down to find the “Breakout Room” setting.
• Enable the Breakout Room option: Toggle the switch to the “on” position.
• Consider Pre-assigning: You’ll see an option that says “Allow host to assign participants to breakout rooms when scheduling.” It’s a good idea to check this, particularly if you plan on pre-assigning participants (more on that later).
• Hit Save: Zoom should save changes automatically, but you can also make sure to click the Save changes button if available.

Creating Breakout Rooms During a Meeting

Once the breakout room feature is enabled, you can create and manage rooms during an active Zoom meeting. This is where the real magic happens.

1. Initiate the Breakout Room Feature: During your Zoom meeting, look for the “Breakout Rooms” icon in the meeting toolbar. It might be hidden under the “More” menu (three dots) depending on your screen size and Zoom version.

2. Choose Your Assignment Method: Clicking the “Breakout Rooms” icon will open a dialog box that lets you choose how you want to assign participants:

   • Automatically: Zoom will randomly distribute your participants into the specified number of rooms. This is the quickest method, especially for large groups.
   • Manually: You get to hand-pick who goes into each room. This gives you complete control over the group composition, which can be useful for specific tasks or team dynamics.
   • Let participants choose room: This option allows participants to select and join the breakout room they prefer. This is great for scenarios where participants have different interests or roles.

3. Set the Number of Rooms: Specify how many breakout rooms you want to create. Consider the size of your group and the desired level of interaction within each room. Smaller groups generally encourage more participation.

4. Create the Rooms: Click the “Create” button. Zoom will then generate the breakout rooms based on your selected assignment method and the number of rooms you specified.

Assigning Participants to Breakout Rooms

After creating the rooms, you need to assign participants. The process varies slightly depending on your chosen assignment method.

• Automatic Assignment: If you chose “Automatically,” Zoom will handle the distribution. You can review the assignments and make adjustments if needed before opening the rooms.

• Manual Assignment: For “Manually,” you’ll see a list of participants and the breakout rooms you created. Click “Assign” next to each room and select the participants you want to add.

• Participant Choice: With the “Let participants choose room” option, attendees will see a “Breakout Rooms” button on their Zoom toolbar. Clicking this button will display a list of available rooms, and they can choose the one they want to join.

Managing Breakout Rooms During the Meeting

The host has considerable control over breakout rooms once they are open.

• Open All Rooms: Click the “Open All Rooms” button to start the breakout sessions. Participants will receive an invitation to join their assigned room.

• Broadcast a Message: Use the “Broadcast a message to all” feature to send announcements or instructions to all breakout rooms simultaneously.

• Join a Breakout Room: You can join any breakout room to check on progress, answer questions, or facilitate discussions. Simply click “Join” next to the room you want to enter.

• Rename Rooms: Click on the room name in the breakout rooms control panel, then edit the name.

• Close All Rooms: When the breakout session is over, click “Close All Rooms.” Participants will be given a 60-second countdown (customizable in settings) before being automatically returned to the main meeting.

Pre-Assigning Breakout Rooms Before a Meeting

Pre-assigning participants to breakout rooms can save valuable time during your meeting. It’s particularly useful when you have specific group assignments based on prior knowledge, skill sets, or roles.

1. Schedule the Meeting: Schedule your Zoom meeting as usual.
2. Enable Breakout Room Pre-assignment: In the meeting scheduling options, look for the “Breakout Room pre-assign” section (this is only visible if you enabled the setting in your Zoom settings, as mentioned before.)
3. Create or Import a CSV File: You can either create rooms manually within the Zoom interface or import a CSV file containing participant email addresses and their assigned room names. The CSV file should follow a specific format (email address in one column and room name in the other.)
4. Save the Meeting: Once you’ve pre-assigned the rooms, save the meeting details.
5. Participant Login: For pre-assignment to work effectively, participants MUST log in to Zoom using the same email address that you used when pre-assigning them to rooms. If they don’t, the pre-assignment won’t recognize them.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Zoom Breakout Rooms

Here are some common questions about using breakout rooms, designed to address specific scenarios and potential challenges:

1. Can I record breakout room sessions? No, not directly. Only the main meeting room can be recorded by the host or designated co-hosts. However, you can instruct participants in breakout rooms to record their screens locally if needed (with their consent).

2. How many breakout rooms can I create? The maximum number of breakout rooms you can create depends on your Zoom account plan. Typically, it ranges from 50 to 100.

3. What happens if a participant joins late? You can manually assign latecomers to a breakout room. The “Assign” button in the Breakout Room settings will become visible for the unassigned participant.

4. Can I move participants between breakout rooms? Absolutely. During the meeting, you can move participants from one room to another using the “Move to” option in the Breakout Room settings.

5. Can I set a time limit for breakout rooms? Yes! When creating or managing the rooms, you can set a timer. After the specified time, all participants will automatically return to the main meeting.

6. How do participants ask for help from the host in a breakout room? Participants can click the “Ask for Help” button in their breakout room. This sends a notification to the host, who can then join the room to provide assistance.

7. Are breakout rooms available on mobile devices? Yes, breakout rooms are accessible on the Zoom mobile app. Participants can join and participate in breakout rooms just like on a computer.

8. Can co-hosts manage breakout rooms? Yes, the host can grant co-hosts the permission to manage breakout rooms, allowing them to create, assign, and manage the rooms independently. This is a great way to share the workload in larger meetings.

9. What happens to screen sharing when I move participants to breakout rooms? Screen sharing is typically paused when participants move to breakout rooms and will need to be restarted in the breakout room if required.

10. Can I share files with participants in breakout rooms? You can’t directly share files to breakout rooms. However, you can share files in the main meeting room, and participants can access them from there even when they are in breakout rooms. Alternatively, use a shared document online where participants can upload and download files.

11. How do I prepare participants for breakout rooms? Clearly explain the purpose of the breakout room activity, provide specific instructions, and set expectations for participation. This helps ensure that participants are focused and productive during the breakout sessions.

12. I’m getting an error when creating Breakout Rooms! What could be wrong? This can happen for a few reasons. First, ensure you’ve fully updated your Zoom application. Outdated versions can have compatibility issues. Second, double-check that the Breakout Room feature is enabled in your account settings on the Zoom website. Finally, if you are using pre-assigned breakout rooms, make sure the email addresses used for pre-assignment exactly match the email addresses participants are logging in with. Discrepancies will prevent proper assignment.

By mastering these techniques and understanding the nuances of Zoom breakout rooms, you can transform your online meetings into engaging, collaborative, and highly productive experiences. Embrace these powerful tools and elevate your online facilitation skills!