Effective breakout rooms

Effective breakout rooms

  • Students can use the technology
  • Small, diverse groups
  • Structured activities
  • Clear directions
  • Clear, essential roles for each and every person
  • Every group has a deliverable
  • Tight time constraints
  • Make sure all students can use the technology before trying to do maths in the breakout room sessions.
  • Provide very clear – written and oral - directions for what is to happen in the breakout room.
  • Keep groups small and diverse (3 to 5)
  • Structure every activity. Set it up so that each group member has an essential role (e.g. Go into your breakout rooms. Discuss, and then vote on which of the three solutions is best. Bring your choice back to the main room)
  • Give every person in the group an indispensable role in the group (e.g., each member of the group is to state their choice and reasons, then the group is to vote on its choice, or; each group of four requires a facilitator, two scribes working in different colours, and a presenter).
  • Keep activity focussed and brief (e.g. 3-4 min for a discussion).
  • Provide a template for each BR whiteboard.
  • Each group should copy BR whiteboard to bring back to main room.
  • There must be a deliverable outcome from every breakout group (e.g. the group’s vote, the group’s whiteboard, the group’s set of working and solutions).
  • Assign a facilitator/spokesperson for each group, or make the group choose one as its first task.