Virtual Classroom Breakout Rooms or Groups

Virtual Classroom Breakout Rooms

Virtual Classroom Breakout rooms allow you to divide any number of participants in your session into smaller groups. Whether you need to give your students an individual exam or have them work on a group assignment, this functionality gives you the possibility to create and customize a separate space for that purpose.

Manage Groups

Groups (also known as breakout rooms) are separate workspaces in the room. Each one has its own separate room elements: video conference connection, online whiteboard, chat, media player, participant controls – available only for the participants added to the group.

The default group in the Virtual classroom is the Main Group – all participants are automatically added to it.

Only tutors can create new groups and manage the participants in them.

Create a group

In order for you to create a new group, press the Participant’s and Groups button in the lower right part of the screen, and then go to the Groups section.

Virtual Classroom Breakout rooms: Breakout Rooms creation through Participants button — Virtual Classroom Breakout rooms: Virtual Classroom Breakout Rooms creation menu

Once you are in the Groups section, press the Create group button, and a new box will appear with a field designated to specify the group’s name. Type the group’s name, choose participants you would like to add to the group, and then click on the Create a Group button.

Virtual Classroom Breakout rooms: Virtual Classroom Breakout Rooms Creation — Virtual Classroom Breakout rooms: Create groups and add participants to groups in the Virtual Classroom

You can still add new participants to the same group, even if you haven’t do so when creating the group.

Virtual Classroom Breakout rooms: Adding an user after the group has been created — Virtual Classroom Breakout rooms: Adding a user after the group has been created

NOTE: You can create empty groups and add the participants later. In order to do so, simply put in a group name, set all participants to not be part of the group (similar to Eva in the previous example), and then enter the group. Adding additional participants to the group can be done afterwards.

Switch Groups

Switching Groups is easy – just select the group you wish to go to from the Groups list.

By default, the first group is the Main group. It is created when the room is started.

NOTE: The Main group cannot be renamed or deleted.

Virtual Classroom Breakout rooms: Switching between different Groups — Virtual Classroom Breakout rooms: Switching between Groups in the Virtual Classroom

There is a visual indicator showing the tutor and other participants that you have switched the group.

NOTE: The tutor/administrator can call a participant to the group.

Online whiteboard in groups

Every group has a separate online whiteboard and the content on it is visible only for the participants who are in that particular group.

NOTE: If you delete the Group all its content will be lost.

Copy content from one group to another

Select the elements you wish to share in the other group and Copy them.

Then switch to the destined Group and Right-Click -> Paste in Place

NOTE: Participants can copy or move only their own elements unless they have permission to Edit Objects Created by Others. When granted this permission, they can copy/move any element on the online whiteboard.

Chat in Groups

Every group has its own chat and the content on it is visible only for the participants who are in that group.

Virtual Classroom Breakout rooms: Group chat option — Virtual Classroom Breakout rooms: You can use the group chat if you want to send message(s) to all group members

Video conference connection in groups

When you switch to another group only the people who are currently in the same group can hear and see you.

NOTE: The host can assign participants to a group, but they should switch/come to that group in order to hear or see you because if assigned they will not be automatically be redirected to that group, instead they can go to the desired (assigned by the host) group by themselves.

Permissions and controls in groups

Every group has its own set of permissions.

NOTE: Some permissions are Global and some are for the Group only.

Add, Call, and Remove Participants

Go to the Groups section, select the desired group, and then click on the Participants icon.

Virtual Classroom Breakout rooms: In order to manage the group, click on the Participants icon, example of invite participants button

You are now able to Add, Assign, or Remove participants.

In order for you to add a participant to the group, the slide needs to be green, therefore in order for you to remove them, it needs to be red.

Virtual Classroom Breakout rooms: Move the slider and press create a group and add the user — Virtual Classroom Breakout rooms: Move the slider and press create a group to add the user

The Move user to this group button next to the user’s name will move them to the respective group.

NOTE: You should add the participant to the group first.

To remove a participant just remove the tick next to the uses name.

NOTE: The tutor cannot be removed.

Virtual Classroom Breakout rooms: How to assign, add, and remove participants from the group

Delete a Group

You can delete any group, except for the Main one, including all their content and settings.

NOTE: Once you delete a Group, you cannot restore it.

In order for you to delete a group, go to the Groups section, select the desired group, and then press the Delete group button (Recycle Bin icon) next to the group name.