![]() ![]() Luckily, Zoom’s feature can help you navigate the world of virtual meetings better. And technical video conferencing problems are never the only reason! According to a survey by the University of North Carolina, 71% of meetings are unproductive. They can be daunting and run the risk of reducing engagement. Large meetings might not help increase team collaboration. Breakout Rooms imitate our ‘in-person’ version of having group discussions. What are Zoom Breakout Rooms? It is a way to break larger meetings into smaller meetings. ![]() But there’s one feature to your rescue - Zoom Breakout Rooms. However, virtual meetings can quickly become a downer. Maybe, you could even write an entire manual on how to get started with Zoom! After the unprecedented 2020, the video conferencing platform has seen massive growth. The silence online may feel longer than in the classroom, but as students gather their thoughts and then unmute, it is important to have a little extra patience.Chances are you know all about Zoom calls. A final tip: remember to give participants time to unmute themselves to join the discussion.These are settings that can be accessed and toggled on and off during the meeting. Note that you can turn on and off the ability for students to use several of these features in Zoom, such as screen sharing and renaming.Keep in mind that students who are unable to see these changes may need additional cues, including those joining by phone. Asking students to use the same virtual background as others in their group can have the same effect. You can allow students to rename themselves (or you can rename them), adding information such as their group membership to the text that appears under their name in Zoom and in the participant list. Having a written or visual reminder of group membership can help students quickly reference membership of peers in much the same way that physically moving students to different sides of a room might in a face-to-face environment. Cues for group membership: In some discussions you might want to assign students to groups that have specific tasks during an assignment, such as in role-playing activities.Also note that technology limitations or personal preferences may impact a student's ability to share video, so be flexible. Coach students to verbally describe the backgrounds for those who cannot see the images. For example, you could ask students to choose fun virtual backgrounds and explain why they chose them for beginning-of-the-semester icebreakers. Virtual backgrounds: Use the Zoom virtual background feature to solicit creative responses to questions.You can allow students to share their screens to show digital artifacts or evidence. Ask them to not only respond to a prompt verbally but also present evidence from course material to support their response. ![]() Screen sharing: Ask prompts that build on the fact that students are connected to the Internet and can access resources.Coach the students to verbally describe their annotations for the benefit of anyone who cannot see the video. Annotated images can be saved and later posted to the class for additional activities. These tools can be effective for brainstorming and gauging students' initial understanding of a concept. Collaborative drawing: Use the Zoom Whiteboard or allow students to use the Zoom Annotation tools to collectively draw on a shared screen.Student can also use non-verbal feedback tools to respond to their classmates (such as virtual clapping). You can use Zoom polls or ask students to provide non-verbal feedback (using icons like yes, no, hand-raising, etc.). Polling: Sometimes asking closed-ended questions and assessing general attitudes of the class can help prompt students to think more deeply about their responses.In addition, the meeting host can pre-assign students to breakout rooms prior to class. Instructors can move among the breakout rooms, can send messages to all students across all breakout rooms, and can control when students come back to the main room. This tool is comparable to asking students to initially chat with a smaller group of peers physically around them in the classroom and then report back to the whole class. Breakout Rooms: For small group, discussions try Zoom breakout rooms.There are several pedagogical practices-supported by various features of Zoom-that can help you facilitate discussion, including ways to encourage creativity in responses.Note: Your goals and the size of the class may influence how you define an effective and rich class discussion. ![]()
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