How do you use Zoom's pre-assign and manual options to create breakout rooms?

1 Pre-assign Breakout Rooms

One way to create breakout rooms is to pre-assign them before the meeting starts. This option is useful if you already know who you want to work together and how many rooms you need. To use this option, you need to enable the breakout room setting in your Zoom account and create a CSV file with the names and email addresses of your participants and the room number they belong to. Then, you can upload the file when you schedule your meeting or edit an existing meeting.

2 Manual Breakout Rooms

Another way to create breakout rooms is to do it manually during the meeting. This option is more flexible if you want to change the number of rooms, assign people randomly, or let them choose their own rooms. To use this option, you need to enable the breakout room setting in your Zoom account and click on the Breakout Rooms icon in your meeting toolbar. Then, you can select how many rooms you want, how to assign people, and whether to allow self-selection.

3 Start and End Breakout Rooms

Once you have created your breakout rooms, you can start them by clicking on the Open All Rooms button. This will send your participants to their respective rooms, where they can communicate and share their screens with their group members. You can also join any room as a host or co-host, broadcast messages to all rooms, and move people between rooms. To end the breakout rooms, you can click on the Close All Rooms button, which will give your participants a countdown to return to the main session.

4 Manage Breakout Rooms

As a host or co-host, you have several options to manage your breakout rooms and make sure they run smoothly. By clicking on the Breakout Rooms icon in your meeting toolbar and selecting Options, you can automate the process of sending participants to their rooms, allow them to return to the main session at any time, set a timer for when the breakout rooms close automatically, and be notified when time is up. This will save you time, provide your participants with control and flexibility, help you keep track of time, and alert you when the breakout rooms are about to close.

5 Best Practices for Breakout Rooms

Making the most of your breakout rooms requires planning ahead and communicating clearly to your participants. Decide how many rooms you need, how long they will last, and what the objectives and instructions for each group are. Explain to your participants how the breakout rooms work, what they are expected to do, and how they can reach you if they have questions or issues. Additionally, check in on your breakout rooms regularly, offer feedback and guidance, and troubleshoot any technical problems. After the breakout rooms end, ask your participants to share their main takeaways, insights, or outputs with the rest of the group. Breakout rooms are a great way to enhance Zoom meetings and foster engagement, interaction, and collaboration among your participants - try them out and see the difference they make!

6 Here’s what else to consider

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