Teaching Commons > Teaching Guides > Technology > Zoom > Creating Pre-Assigned Breakout Rooms

Creating Pre-Assigned Breakout Rooms

Breakout rooms are sessions that are split off from the main Zoom meeting, allowing users to meet in smaller groups. Pre-assigned breakout groups can be used for collaborative activities like group projects or peer review. 

By default, breakout rooms can only be created within a meeting, so the option to pre-assign breakout rooms will need to be enabled first. Once enabled, users can pre-assign groups for breakout rooms that can be opened in future Zoom meetings.

Note: Users on Chromebooks will not be able to join breakout rooms.

Enable Breakout Rooms

In order to create breakout rooms, this setting must first be enabled.

  1. Sign in to depaul.zoom.us.
  2. Select the profile picture [A], and then select Settings [B].
    locating the profile and settings

  3. Select Meeting.
  4. Select In Meeting (Advanced).
  5. Select the Breakout room - Meetings toggle to enable or disable it. If a verification dialog appears, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
  6. (Optional) Select or clear the check boxes for the following breakout room options, then select Save:
    • Assign participants to breakout rooms when scheduling
    • Broadcast message to participants: This allows the host to broadcast a text-based message to all participants in breakout rooms.
    • Broadcast voice to breakout rooms: This allows the host to broadcast their microphone audio to all participants in breakout rooms.
    • Create, rename, and delete breakout rooms when rooms are open
    • Allow host to view activity statuses of participants in breakout rooms (e.g. share screen, reactions): This allows hosts and co-hosts to quickly view participants' audio and video status, if they are sharing their screen, and if they are using the raise hand reaction. This feature does not apply to participants joining on certain devices such as phone, H.323, and SIP.
    • Set default breakout room behaviors: After selecting the check box, select Edit Options to apply any of the following options to all meetings that have breakout rooms, then select Continue. 
      • Allow participants to choose room
      • Allow participants to return to the main session at any time
      • Automatically move all assigned participants into breakout rooms
      • Automatically move all selected participants in breakout rooms to main session
      • Auto close breakout rooms after [number] minutes
      • Countdown after closing breakout room

Create Pre-Assigned Breakout Rooms

  1. Sign into depaul.zoom.us.
  2. Select the "waffle menu" next to the profile picture [A], and select Meetings [B]. 
    locating the waffle menu and the Meetings link

  3. Locate the Options section and select Show.
  4. Select the Breakout Room pre-assign checkbox.
  5. Select Create Rooms. A Breakout Room Assignment window will appear.
  6. To the right of Rooms, select the plus button [A] to add breakout rooms.

  7. Hover the mouse cursor over the pencil icon to rename a room.

  8. In the Add participants text box [B], search for DePaul participants by name or email address, or manually enter the email address of external users, and then press Enter to to add them to the breakout room.
    the window for assigning participants to breakout rooms

  9. (Optional) Use these options to edit  breakout rooms and participants:
    • Click and drag a participant's email address to change the order.
    • Hover the mouse cursor over a participant's name to see options to move them to another room or remove them from the current room.
    • To delete a breakout room, hover the mouse cursor over the room name in the left panel and select the trash icon.
  10. Select Save.
  11. Select Create Rooms.
  12. A pop-up window will appear on the screen. Select the plus sign [A] to create rooms.
  13. Add the participants by typing their names (or DePaul email addresses) into the input field [B] under the name of the breakout room. 

    14. Note: In order to pre-assign breakout rooms, users must log in to Zoom using their DePaul accounts unless rooms are assigned using a CSV.

    It is also possible to import participants using a CSV file. Follow Zoom’s direct instructions for uploading via CSV here.

Open Pre-Assigned Breakout Rooms in a Meeting

  1. Start the meeting with participants pre-assigned to breakout rooms.
    location of the More and Breakout Rooms icons in a meeting.

  2. Select More [A], and then select Breakout Rooms [B] in the meeting controls to access the breakout rooms that were previously created.
  3. Note: If a participant is not automatically assigned to the specified breakout room, select Recover to pre-assigned breakout rooms to re-assign.
  4. Participants can manually be assigned to breakout rooms in the meeting using the in-meeting Breakout Room controls.
  5. Select Open All Rooms to start the breakout rooms.

    6. Note: To navigate between breakout rooms, use the Breakout Rooms panel. Do not use the "Leave Meeting" option as this will end the meeting.

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