Using Breakout Rooms in Synchronous Online Tutorials

Abstract

This paper describes a small-scale, practitioner-led study of the use of breakout rooms for small group work in synchronous online tutorials using the Blackboard Collaborate tool. The project draws on the writer's own experience of using breakout rooms in online tutorials over a period of 10 months, both as a tutor of two health and social care undergraduate modules and as a student of modules in a different faculty. It also draws on the experience of tutor colleagues.The project identifies three main benefits of using breakout rooms. Firstly, they are a useful tool for facilitating collaborative learning and interaction. Interaction takes on particular significance in online tutorials. In a face-to-face session the tutor can see if a student's attention has wandered and gauge their response to the session. In contrast, a student can log into an online tutorial room and appear to be fully engaged with a lecture style session, whilst actually doing many other things and learning little. Interaction in an online tutorial also provides students learning at a distance with a rare opportunity for peer-to-peer contact, which can be invaluable in building relationships and confidence. Further benefits are identified in terms of empowering students to contribute to the session plan and content and also giving the tutor a break from presenting.Perceived barriers to breakout room use are identified around technical difficulties, small numbers of students and in terms of student skill and confidence. The only significant actual barrier to breakout room use identified relates to tutor skill and confidence.

Rethinking Learning Design in IT Education During a Pandemic

“…Along the same lines, teachers need to be able to enhance collaboration between the students and give them meaningful feedback. In most of the cases, this happens though the use of a video conferencing system and the use of break out rooms (Chandler, 2016;Li et al, 2021).…”

Using Structured Pair Activities in a Distributed Online Breakout Room

“…In general, the use of breakout rooms encourages "learner-learner interaction," which as noted by Moore (1993), is a valuable resource for learning. Chandler (2016) found that breakout rooms are useful for facilitating collaborative learning and interaction. Chandler noted that breakout rooms provide distance-learning students with the opportunity for peer-to-peer contact, which can be invaluable in building relationships and confidence.…”

Online University Teaching at the time of COVID-19 (2020): An Australian Perspective

“…Planning (part of the teaching presence element) was particularly important in relation to designing breakout room activities, the timing of the activities and discussions with the whole tutorial after a breakout room activity. Breakout rooms have been identified as beneficial because they allow the teacher relief from presenting (Chandler 2016), but more importantly, they facilitate collaboration, interaction as well contribution to the content or the lesson plan (part of the social presence element). The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Learner Experience (LX) Team provided pedagogic techniques for effective breakout rooms in Zoom.…”