The Effectiveness of Breakout Rooms in Blended Learning

Abstract

This research project describes the use of breakout rooms in the faculty of EDICT degree English courses at Bahrain Polytechnic. It draws on the experience of tutors employing breakout rooms in online classes and students' experience using the technological tools of breakout rooms and examines the effectiveness of breakout rooms in online and blended learning scenarios. Unlike face-to-face teaching and learning, breakout rooms pose many challenges to tutors and students which range between overseeing their own learning, focusing on following the instructions, communicating with a group of random participants, and completing the given tasks collaboratively at a distance. The findings reveal that breakout rooms learning processes have many benefits such as learning collaboratively, receiving peer feedback, and enhancing communicative skills. Additionally, identified barriers to breakout room use have been found including students' interest and motivation to work collaboratively online and the discrepancies of their language and technological proficiencies.