Sharing information with breakout rooms in large training meetings

[l_b28]

I'm leading training for 150 people involving around 20/25 breakout rooms.  I would like to set 3 different tasks that are assigned to breakout rooms randomly during one breakout session.  Is there a way of doing this?

[hazeelwood]

Organizing breakout rooms with randomly assigned tasks for a large training session can be accomplished with some planning and coordination. Here's a step-by-step guide using common video conferencing platforms like Zoom:

1. Create Breakout Rooms:

   • Set up the number of breakout rooms you need (20 to 25) on your video conferencing platform.
   • For Zoom, you can do this in advance or during the meeting.

2. Prepare Task Lists:

   • Develop three different tasks that participants can work on during breakout sessions. Ensure these tasks are clear, concise, and aligned with the training objectives.

3. Assign Tasks Randomly:

   • Use a random assignment method, such as a random number generator or a list of participant names, to assign each breakout room one of the three tasks.
   • Manually assign each room a task based on the random results.

4. Communicate Instructions:

   • Clearly communicate the tasks and any relevant instructions to the participants before they enter their breakout rooms. This can be done verbally or by providing written instructions.

5. Monitor Breakout Sessions:

   • Join each breakout room briefly to ensure participants understand their tasks and are on the right track. Answer any questions that may arise.

6. Regroup and Share:

   • Bring all participants back to the main session after the breakout activity.
   • Encourage each breakout room to share a brief summary or key points from their discussion.

7. Repeat as Needed:

   • If your training involves multiple breakout sessions, repeat the process for each session with new tasks or rotate the tasks among the breakout rooms.

8. Utilize Breakout Room Features:

   • Some video conferencing platforms have features that allow you to pre-assign participants to breakout rooms. Utilize these features for smoother organization.

[Marmelino]

It would be good also if Zoom has a built-in feature to automatically assign different tasks to breakout rooms randomly during a session. If someone knows it, please share. Because I know it as achievable yet by manually assigning tasks to each breakout room only.

For similar task automating I had to order (by outsourcing) the custom scripts integrated through Zoom API. BTW I used the storyboard template to outline the specific tasks for each breakout room. It helped me to clearly define the objectives, content, and expected outcomes for each task. Having a well-organized storyboard can serve as a roadmap for your training session, ensuring that tasks are clear, participants stay engaged, and the overall flow of the session is smooth. Actually, you can use any collaborative whiteboard tools for visual tasks, such as Miro, Mural etc. Perhaps, this advice would be helpful.  

 Another way also is to use external tools for more automation. I mean the way of integration with Slack and/or Zapier for creating channels for each room, assigning tasks and automating workflows…but it looks applicable and worth to do when such multi-sessions are regular and integration with CRM is possible.