Using Breakout Rooms

Breakout rooms let you split participants into smaller groups for focused discussions, then bring everyone back together. Each breakout room is a separate, isolated space where participants can only see and hear others in their room.

Before your session: Run System Check to ensure everything is working.

When to Use Breakouts

Great for:

• Small group discussions (3-6 people)
• Brainstorming sessions
• Peer feedback exercises
• Team activities within larger sessions

Consider audio zones instead if:

• You have fewer than 8 participants
• You need to see all participants on one canvas
• You want fluid movement between groups
• The activity is very short

See Audio Zones Explained for an alternative approach.

How Breakout Rooms Work

When you activate breakout rooms:

1. Separate boards are created for each breakout room
2. Participants are assigned to rooms (randomly or via lobby)
3. Each room is isolated - participants only see and hear others in their room
4. Facilitators can visit any room to check in
5. When closed, everyone returns to the main space

Assignment Methods

Kolab offers two assignment methods:

Random Assignment

Participants are automatically distributed across rooms.

Best for:

• When you want mixed groups
• Quick setup without manual work
• Groups where composition doesn't matter

How it works:

1. Specify the number of rooms
2. Kolab distributes participants evenly
3. Participants are immediately assigned when breakout starts

Lobby Start

Everyone starts in a lobby, and the facilitator assigns participants manually.

Best for:

• When specific groupings matter
• Pre-planned team compositions
• Situations where you need control over who works together

How it works:

1. All participants start in a lobby
2. You see all participants and all rooms
3. Assign participants to rooms one by one
4. Participants move to their assigned room

Setting Up Breakout Rooms

Creating a Breakout Session

1. Open the Tools menu
2. Select Breakout Rooms
3. Configure your session:
   • Number of rooms: How many groups you want
   • Assignment method: Random or Lobby
   • Timer (optional): Set a duration for the session
4. Click Create or Start

Naming Rooms

You can give rooms custom names to help participants understand their purpose:

• Default names: "Breakout #1", "Breakout #2", etc.
• Custom names: "Team Alpha", "Topic A", "Blue Room"

To rename a room:

1. Click on the room title in the admin view
2. Type the new name
3. The name updates for all participants

Running the Breakout Session

Before Starting

1. Announce what's happening: "You're about to be moved to breakout rooms..."
2. Give the prompt: "In your groups, discuss..."
3. Set expectations: "You'll have about 10 minutes"

During Breakouts

As a facilitator, you can:

• Visit any room: Click on a room to join it and check in
• See room status: View how many participants are in each room
• Close the session: Return everyone to the main space

Tips:

• Visit each room briefly at the start to ensure people are engaging
• Don't hover too long - your presence changes the dynamic
• Trust the process - most groups figure it out

Ending Breakouts

1. When ready, click Close Breakout Tool
2. All participants return to the main space
3. Give people a moment to reorient
4. Debrief: "What did you discuss?"

Timer Feature

You can set an optional timer when creating breakout rooms:

• Timer displays the remaining time
• When time expires, the session can auto-close (if configured)
• Timer is visible to participants

Note: The timer applies to the entire breakout session, not individual rooms.

Giving Rooms Their Own Tools

Each breakout room can have its own active tool, independent of the other rooms and the main space. One room might have a Timer running while another has a Poll active and a third has nothing at all.

Design This Room

1. Open the breakout control view (facilitator/host only).
2. Click the sliders icon (Design this room) next to the room's name.
3. A panel opens listing the space's tools, each with an Activate / Deactivate control.

Scope: Choose whether to activate a tool for This room only or All rooms at once.

Only one tool can be active per room at a time—activating a new one swaps out whatever was running.

Good to know: A tool like the Timer runs on one shared clock, so starting it in one room doesn't give every room its own independent countdown. Card decks and other content-based tools do run independently per room.

Breakout Room Strategies

The Classic Discussion

• Setup: 4-5 people per room, 10-15 minutes
• Prompt: Open-ended question
• Debrief: Each group shares one highlight

Speed Networking

• Setup: 2 people per room, 3-4 minutes
• Process: After each round, manually reassign for new pairings
• Repeat: 3-5 rounds with new partners

Expert Rotation

• Setup: One "expert" stays in each room
• Process: Other participants rotate through rooms
• Goal: Learn about different topics from different experts

Jigsaw Method

• Round 1: Groups learn different content pieces
• Round 2: Regroup with one person from each original group
• Teaching: Each person shares what their first group learned

Group Size Guidelines

Timing Guidelines

Common Issues and Fixes

"Someone is in the wrong room"

With Lobby assignment:

• Return to the admin view
• Reassign the participant to the correct room

With Random assignment:

• Close the breakout session
• Restart with Lobby assignment for more control

"A room is too quiet"

Visit the room and:

• Restate the prompt
• Ask a more specific question
• Suggest a discussion leader
• Check if there are technical issues

"Participant can't get into their room"

1. Verify they're assigned to a room
2. Check if breakout session is active
3. Have them refresh their browser
4. Reassign them if needed

"I can't visit all the rooms"

You don't have to visit every room:

• Prioritize rooms that might struggle
• Have a co-facilitator help
• Trust participants to self-manage
• Ask groups to reach out if they need help

Breakout Rooms vs. Audio Zones

Best Practices Checklist

Before the Session

• Plan your assignment method (random vs. lobby)
• Prepare clear prompts for discussion
• Decide on timing
• Brief co-facilitators on their role

Giving Instructions

Be crystal clear about:

1. What they'll discuss
2. How long they have
3. What output you expect (if any)
4. What happens when they return

Example: "In your breakout, you'll have 8 minutes to discuss: What's the biggest challenge you're facing with remote collaboration? Choose one person to share your top insight when we return."

Related Guides

• Audio Zones Explained - Alternative approach using zones
• Space Modes Explained - Understanding different space modes
• Your First Session - Complete facilitation guide
• System Check - Verify your setup