Using Breakout Rooms in Zoom
Breakout rooms are sessions that allow you to split students into separate groups and rooms ( up to 50 breakout rooms can be created ) for collaboration, discussion, and group work. Only you as the host can manage breakout rooms, whereas the co-host can move between breakout rooms. Breakout room participants have the same permissions as in the main room, so make sure you set those up before sending people to a breakout room.
For example, if participants do not have screen sharing permission in the main room, they will not be able to share the screen in the breakout room either.
Participants who joined the Zoom meeting from the Zoom Mobile App can participate in breakout rooms but cannot manage them. Likewise, people who enter via the web client, Chromebooks/Chrome OS or Zoom Rooms cannot join Breakout Rooms, but the main room can be used as an alternative session for these users.
In this guide, the below steps will break apart how to set up and use breakout rooms in Zoom:
- Zoom Video on Using Breakout Rooms
- Enabling Breakout Rooms on Your Account
- Pre-Assigning Breakout Room in Zoom (Authenticated Users)
- Assigning Participants in Breakout Rooms
- Automatically Assigning Groups
- Manually Assigning Groups
- Let Participants Choose Room
- Additional Options
- Managing Breakout Rooms in the Process
- Broadcasting a Message to all Breakout Groups
Zoom Video on Using Breakout Rooms
Enabling Breakout Rooms on Your Account
If you have trouble with breakout rooms, it may be because it is not enabled on your Zoom account. You can check and change this by following these steps:
Please refer to the Zoom Essentials Help Guide, Accessing Zoom step 2.1, to learn how to log into your VU Zoom Staff Account correctly.
1. Log in to the Zoom Web Portal following step 2.1 in the Zoom Essentials Help Guide.
2. Select Settings on the left-hand side within the Zoom Web Portal.
3. Under meetings, select In Meeting (Advanced) to go to the advanced settings.
4. Navigate to the breakout room option and verify that the setting is enabled. If the setting is disabled, click the Toggle to enable it. If a verification dialogue displays, choose Turn on to verify the change;
Zoom's recent update ( 5.10.3 ) can allow hosts and co-hosts to activate a new setting on the Zoom Web Portal site to allow for the viewing of participants' actions within the Breakout Room without going into the Breakout Room.
To activate this setting, follow the previous steps above. When you get to the Breakout room settings, tick the third option.
When hosting your next session and Breakout rooms are currently underway. To see what students are doing in the Breakout rooms, you should now see symbols next to each student's name.
- Green Rectangle: Student is sharing their screen.
- Grey Mic: Their mic is active.
- Grey Camera: Their camera is active.
- Red Symbols: Not in use.
Pre-Assigning Breakout Room in Zoom (Authenticated Users)
3.1 Download a Gradebook Student List as a CSV File
The first step needed when creating Pre-Assigned Breakout Groups in Zoom will require you to download your grade book student list from VU Collaborate.
1. Log into VU Collaborate and hop into your current Delivery Space.
2. Select Assessments on the top toolbar and then Grades.
3. Select Enter Grades on the top left-hand side of the screen to enter the Gradebook.
4. Once in the Gradebook, select Export located near the top left-hand side of the page.
5. Make sure to copy the following settings down below.
Select All Users under Export Grade Items if there is only one group within the Delivery Space.
If there are multiple groups in the Delivery Space and you want to select your class group, change All users to Groups and then select Apply.
Then select the new dropdown menu and choose your class from the list. Then select Apply.
6. Select the tick box Email within User Details.
7. Deselect the top tick box to detach all Grade Items from the export.
8. Then select Export to CSV to finalise the export.
9. The following dialogue box will appear once finalised. Select Download once the ( Gradebook Download File ) is ready.
10. Your computer should then automatically download the document; save ( Gradebook Download File ) to your desktop.
Please refer to the Zoom Essentials Help Guide, Accessing Zoom step 2.1, to learn how to log into your VU Zoom Staff Account correctly.
11. Log in to the Zoom Web Portal following step 2.1 in the Zoom Essentials Help Guide.
12. Once within the Zoom Web Portal, on the left-hand side, select Meetings.
13. On the right-hand side, select Schedule a Meeting.
14. Scroll down the page and select Show to open further options.
15. Scroll down the page until you see Breakout Room pre-assign, tick this option and then select Import from CSV.
16. A pop up will appear; select download within the sentence above the Drag & Drop area. This will allow you to download and save a helpful template.
We recommend saving the CSV template document onto your computer device or USB storage and making a copy for future uses.
You may now close the Zoom Web Portal and the creation of a new Zoom Session.
3.2 Editing the CSV File Template
1. Open the CSV File now located on your computer device. This file will open within Excel.
The CSV template will look like the image below once opened:
2. Now, open the Gradebook Download File with your students' emails. This file should also open within Excel.
The Gradebook Download File will look like the image below once opened:
3. Highlight all of your students' emails and copy them by either right-clicking your mouse and selecting Copy or by using the shortcut keys on your keyboard ( CTRL + C ).
4. Head back to the CSV template and replace the fake test emails with your students' emails.
You can do this by highlighting the test emails, and then you may either right click your mouse and select Paste or use the shortcut keys on your keyboard ( CTRL + V ).
The following steps will showcase how to create pre-assigned breakout groups.
Now that you have copied your students' emails into the CSV template, you may split them into their breakout groups for your next session.
5. To split students into separate breakout rooms, assign them to a room by giving them a pre-assign Room Name. For example, if you want groups of three, you will place three students into room1, room2 and room3.
You can make as many rooms as you like, and you may colour code the rooms to make it easier to see who is in what pre-assigned breakout room.
6. Once all students have been assigned, Save the CSV File Template.
3.3 Uploading the CSV File to a Scheduled Zoom Meeting
In the case of uploading pre-assigned breakout rooms, you will first need to have scheduled meetings available within the Zoom Web Portal.
Please refer to the Zoom Essentials Help Guide, Accessing Zoom step 2.1, to learn how to log into your VU Zoom Staff Account correctly.
1. Log in to the Zoom Web Portal following step 2.1 in the Zoom Essentials Help Guide.
2. Once within the Zoom Web Portal, on the left-hand side, select Meetings.
3. In the Upcoming meeting section, hover over the session you wish to add pre-assigned breakout groups and select Edit.
4. Scroll down the page and select Show to open further options.
5. Scroll down the page until you see Breakout Room pre-assign, tick this option and select Import from CSV.
6. Drop the CSV template file you updated in the space pictured below.
7. It will then upload to the scheduled meeting and select Save.
3.4 Activate the Authenticated User Setting
You will need to ensure that the following setting is activated in your profile on the Zoom Web Portal.
Please refer to the Zoom Essentials Help Guide, Accessing Zoom step 2.1, to learn how to log into your VU Zoom Staff Account correctly.
1. Log in to the Zoom Web Portal following step 2.1 in the Zoom Essentials Help Guide.
2. Once within the Zoom Web Portal, select Settings and then Security underneath the Meeting subheading on the left-hand side.
3. Scroll down and ensure that the Only Authenticated Users Can Join Meetings from Web Client is activated.
If you pre-assign breakout rooms, your students will be required to log into Zoom via the single sign-on process through VU Collaborate.
Please note if you intend on running meetings in the future with individuals external to VU, this setting will need to be deactivated.
3.5 Importing Meeting to VU Collaborate Space from Zoom Web Profile
For your students to attend your Zoom classroom, you will need to ensure that the Zoom Web Portal ( victoriauniversity.zoom.us ) is imported to your VU Collaborate Unit space.
1. Go to the Zoom Web Portal ( victoriauniversity.zoom.us. ) and copy the Meeting ID by highlighting the ID and right-clicking, then select Copy. Or you can use the shortcut on your keyboard (Ctrl + C).
2. Navigate to your Zoom Classroom section in your Delivery Space by selecting Communication in the navbar, then select Zoom Classroom.
3. On the far right of the screen, you will see a button with three dots; select it.
4. Then select Import Meeting.
5. Right-click with your cursor, then select Paste or use the shortcut on your keyboard (Ctrl + V) the Meeting ID that you have copied from the Zoom Web Portal as per the below image.
6. Then select Import.
7. The meeting should then appear as below with your pre-assigned breakout rooms.
8. You are now ready to start your scheduled Zoom Classroom, and your pre-assigned breakout room will be set.
9. When facilitating your classroom, select breakout rooms on the toolbar within your zoom meeting, the pre-assigned breakout rooms will appear, and all you need to do is select open breakout rooms.
Assigning Participants to Breakout Rooms
This step is an example of what you can do in Zoom without pre-assigning students.
1. When hosting or co-hosting a Zoom Session, select Breakout rooms to activate the breakout room settings.
2. Once the Breakout room settings are activated, you can select one of three Breakout room options which can be viewed below.
- Assign automatically: Automatically create several breakout groups where participants are automatically split into the groups formed.
- Assign manually: Create several breakout groups to assign participants manually.
- Let participants choose room: Create several breakout groups to allow participants to select which group they would like to participate within.
If students are working in groups for an assessment task, you may manually assign them before the Zoom session to save time. However, pre-assigning breakout rooms before the class starts is optional, as breakout rooms can be created during the class.
3. When breakout rooms are made during the class, you can choose who goes into what group or allow students to select their rooms.
Some students may join your class as guests (i.e. not a VU Student Zoom account), so you may find that some students do not automatically get assigned to a breakout room. You will need to input them manually.
Automatically Assigning Groups
This step is an example of what you can do in Zoom without pre-assigning students.
1. Use the arrows in the title ( Create breakout rooms ) to select the number of groups you wish to create; next, choose Assign automatically to assign participants into groups randomly, then click Create or Recreate.
If you want to choose who goes into each room, select Assign manually, and you will have the option to add each participant into different rooms.
2. Once you have created the rooms, you should see participants automatically split evenly into each breakout room; click on Open All Rooms to invite your participants to join in.
In the example below, two participants have been split into two out of the three selected rooms.
3. Once participants have completed their activities or you wish to invite everyone back into the main session room, select Close All Rooms so they can come back to the main room.
4. When you select Close All Rooms, participants will be given 60 seconds (or less if you choose) to leave the breakout room and join the main session before the breakout rooms are closed.
Manually Assigning Groups
This step is an example of what you can do in Zoom without pre-assigning students.
1. Use the arrows in the title ( Create breakout rooms ) to select the number of groups you wish to create. Next, select Assign manually to manually assign participants into groups, then click Create or Recreate.
2. Once you have created the rooms, you will need to populate them manually.
Select Assign next to the room you wish to assign particular participants. Then tick the participants you want to add to the room.
Once all rooms have been prefilled, click on Open All Rooms to invite your participants to join in.
This option is great for sessions that involve assignment group work.
3. Once participants have completed their activities or you wish to invite everyone back into the main session room, select Close All Rooms so they can come back to the main room.
4. When you select Close All Rooms, participants will be given 60 seconds (or less if you choose) to leave the breakout room and join the main session before the breakout rooms are closed.
Let Participants Choose Room
This step is an example of what you can do in Zoom without pre-assigning students.
1. Use the arrows in the title ( Create breakout rooms ) to select the number of groups you wish to create. Next, select Let Participants Choose Room to let participants manually join into groups, then click Create or Recreate.
2. Once you have created the rooms, click Open All Rooms to allow participants to choose their room.
Once participants start to enter their groups, you will see them listed underneath each room.
3. Once participants have completed their activities or you wish to invite everyone back into the main session room, select Close All Rooms so they can come back to the main room.
4. When you select Close All Rooms, participants will be given 60 seconds (or less if you choose) to leave the breakout room and join the main session before the breakout rooms are closed.
If a student arrives late to class and Breakout Room Sessions have already begun, Zoom does not automatically send them to their assigned Breakout Room. Instead, the host must assign the students manually to their Breakout Rooms. To learn about this, read the manually assigning participants section.
Additional Options
After creating the breakout rooms and opening them to participants, you can click Options to view additional breakout room options.
Check the additional options that you would like to apply for your breakout rooms.
- Allow participants to choose room: When using the Let participants choose room setting, participants will be able to select the room they need to be within. If this is disabled, they need to wait for the host to choose their rooms manually.
- Allow participants to return to the main session at any time: students can move back to the main session from their meeting controls in the breakout room. If this is disabled, they need to wait for the host to close the breakout rooms.
- Automatically move all participants into breakout rooms: will move all students into the breakout rooms automatically. If you leave this option unchecked, students will need to click Join to be added to the breakout room.
- Breakout rooms close automatically after x minutes will automatically close the breakout rooms after the allotted time. Participants will then be sent back to the main room/session.
- Notify me when the time is up: This means that you will get a notification when the breakout room time is up.
- Countdown after closing breakout rooms means that participants in the breakout rooms will see a countdown of how much time they have left before being automatically returned to the main room.
- Set countdown timer: This setting allows you to select how long the countdown timer is once you close rooms.
Managing Breakout Rooms in Progress Tips
Once breakout rooms have been started, participants will be asked to join the breakout session with a pop-up in front of the Zoom screen. They will need to select Join to enter their rooms.
The host will stay in the central meeting until joining a breakout room manually. To enter a breakout room of your choice, select the room you wish to participate in by selecting Join and then Yes.
If a participant has not joined the session yet, it will be noted by ( not joined ) next to their name.
Participants can request the host to join their breakout room by clicking an Ask for Help icon at the bottom of their Zoom window. If this occurs, the host will receive a message that appears in the middle of the screen. Clicking on that will take the host into that breakout room.
Broadcasting a Message to all Breakout Rooms
Hosts can broadcast a message to all breakout rooms to share information with all participants.
1. Click Breakout Rooms in the meeting controls.
2. Click Broadcast Message to All, enter your message and then click Broadcast. The message will then appear for all participants in Breakout Rooms. The announcement comes up as small text in blue at the top of their screen and disappears after 3-5 seconds.
Further Support
Contact us This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., for information and resources on technology-enhanced learning, or visit VUCollaborateHelp.vu.edu.au.
Contact ITS Service Desk on (03) 9919 2777 or via self-service servicedesk.vu.edu.au for technical support.