Use breakout rooms effectively in Zoom

This guide is about using Breakout-Rooms in Zoom, a practical tool that allows you to divide participants into smaller groups. This is particularly useful when you have a larger number of participants in a meeting and want to conduct interactive group activities. In 434 seconds, I will show you how to set up and manage Breakout-Rooms so that you can work effectively with your participants.

Main Takeaways

• Breakout-Rooms in Zoom allow you to divide participants into smaller groups for interactive work.
• Participants can be assigned manually or automatically.
• You can set the duration of the Breakout-Rooms and communicate during the session.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Accessing the Breakout-Rooms

To work with Breakout-Rooms, open your Zoom meeting and look at the menu bar. Here you will find the button for the Breakout-Rooms, located between the captions and reactions. This is the first step to activate the function. Make sure your Zoom client has the latest version to access all features.

Step 2: Creating Breakout-Rooms

Once you have selected the option for Breakout-Rooms, you can determine the number of rooms. For example, if you have 12 participants and want to divide them into groups of 3, you will need 4 rooms. You also have the option to manually assign participants or let Zoom do the assignment automatically. Consider which method is better suited for your meeting.

Step 3: Assigning Participants

After creating the rooms, you can assign the participants. You will now see a list of all participants attending your meeting. Click on the respective rooms and assign the relevant individuals. It is helpful to consider which groups can work well together. You can also delete a group if you need fewer groups.

Step 4: Adjusting Breakout-Room Options

Before starting the Breakout-Rooms, you can adjust the options. This includes setting a timer that allows you to determine the duration of group work. For example, you can set the rooms to automatically close after 15 minutes. You also have the option to activate a notification that informs you when the time has expired. This way, you can always keep track of the time.

Step 5: Starting Breakout Sessions

Now that everything is prepared, you can start the Breakout sessions. Click on the respective button to do so. The participants will then be distributed to their assigned rooms. During the group work, you can also send a message to everyone to inform them of the progress or remaining time. This feature is particularly useful for keeping communication lines open during the session.

Step 6: Leaving the Breakout-Room

You can enter or leave a Breakout-Room at any time. When you leave the room, you will be returned to the main meeting. It is essential to note that as the host, you retain control over the meeting and can always return to the participants in their groups.

Step 7: Closing Breakout Rooms

When the time is up, all participants will be shown a message that they have 60 seconds left to leave their Breakout-Room. This warning helps participants stay organized and return on time. You also have the option to close the rooms before the time expires if necessary.

Summary

In this guide, you have learned how to set up breakout rooms in Zoom, assign participants, start and manage the rooms. With these features, you can work efficiently and interactively with your participants, even if you are overseeing a large group.