Breakout Rooms

Quick Reference Guide for Moderators

Moderators can create Breakout Rooms in Elluminate Live!. A Breakout Room has the same features as the main room and can be used to facilitate small group activities or private meetings. Each Breakout Room has its own audio, whiteboard, application sharing, video, etc. Communication or activity in breakout rooms is not captured in the recording. Moderators can create any number of breakout rooms at any time during a session. Moderators can then move participants and content into and between breakout rooms and the main room.

Creating Breakout Rooms

On-the-Fly Breakout Rooms:

You can select one or more participants and send them to an on-the-fly breakout room which is created automatically.

1. In the Participants window, click on the name(s) of the participant(s) you wish to move to a breakout room. Hold down your Shift or Ctrl key to select multiple participants.
2. Right mouse click (Mac users hold down your Ctrl key and mouse click again) and select Send to Breakout Room and then select New Private Breakout Room from the menu.

1. The Participants window will be updated to include the name(s) of the breakout room(s).

NOTE: When the last participant is moved out of the breakout room, it automatically closes and any content is lost. To retain the whiteboard content, you must either save the whiteboard screens to a file or copy the screens into the main room prior to moving the last participant out of the breakout room.

Formal Breakout Rooms:

You can create formal breakout rooms where you can load or even pre-load content onto the whiteboard screens.

1. In the Participants window, right click and select Create Breakout Room…
2. Enter a name for the breakout room in the dialog box that appears.

1. The Participants window will be updated to display the name of the breakout room.
2. Repeat these steps to create additional breakout rooms.

NOTE: When the last participant is moved out of the room, the room and the whiteboard content remain. You can save or copy the content before you close the room.

Managing Breakout Rooms

• Moving between breakout rooms: Move into any breakout room by selecting your name in the Participants window and right click on your name. From the context menu, choose Send to Breakout Room and choose the room you wish to join.
• Following moderator: When a breakout room is created, Follow Moderator is de-selected. To select Follow Moderator, join the breakout room and then check Follow Moderator.
• Viewing content: As participants collaborate in breakout rooms, you can view their progress without actually joining their room.
  1. Select the name of the breakout room or the screen you wish to view in the Whiteboard Screen menu.
  2. Once in the breakout room screen group, use the navigation arrows to view all the screens. (This will not affect any of the participants.)
  3. To move back to the main room, select the main room or the screen from the Whiteboard Screen menu.
• Managing Participants: Even if there is no moderator in the breakout room, participants can still collaborate. Participants have the same set of permissions they had in the main room. When participants raise their hands or send you a private text message while in a breakout room, you will be notified even if you are not in the same room.

Best Practices

• Use breakout rooms for brainstorming activities, tutoring, or small group activities and collaboration.
• To copy a whiteboard screen(s) go to Tools, Whiteboard, Explore Screens. You will see a listing of all the whiteboard screens by room. Click the screen(s) you wish to copy and use Ctrl + C. Then click on the screen where you wish to insert the screens and use Ctrl + V. You can also navigate to the breakout room, click on the screen and select Ctrl + C, and then move back to the main room and Ctrl + V.
• To capture information created in the breakout rooms in a recording, move the content and participants into the main room and have participants summarize their discussion.
• Before sending participants into breakout rooms, provide specific instructions and inform them how much time they have to work on the activity.
• Remind participants to raise their hands or send private text messages if they have questions while in breakout rooms.
• Rename a breakout room by right clicking on the breakout room name in the Participants window and selecting Rename Breakout Room…