Improved Breakout Groups instructions for Zoom-native trainings

[angela-li]

After our most recent workshop (this past M/Tu), Sarah Stevens and I found that the instructions for breakout groups is not quite sufficient for virtual. As we're mostly virtual for instructor training, we thought it might be a good idea to include a specific blurb for Zoom instructions for breakout rooms, as it only took us until the second or third time to really have clear instructions for our trainees.

The following should be included in the instructions to reduce confusion, for example:

• How to indicate your group is done (i.e. "type done in the Etherpad" or "return to the main room when you're done")
• The time at which individuals should be called back ("we will bring you back at 5 after the hour" as vs "you'll have around 20 min")
• Whether or not the instructor will "pop into" rooms to check on folks

[tobyhodges]

It's possible to set a countdown timer for breakout sessions in Zoom, I think? Perhaps instructions for setting this up could be provided in addition to the recommendations above i.e.

Before beginning the breakout session/activity, tell learners how long the breakout rooms will be open, and also [set a countdown timer in Zoom] (link to instructions) so they can easily keep track of how much time is remaining after they've joined the breakout.

[brownsarahm]

Today, I used the Cuckoo timer to share how long they'd have because I knew I wasn't going to do the math right to say when they'd be called back. Some joined, but not all.

I usually edit each activity in my preparation to say what to write when done, making the prompts more topical than "done". If the activity doesn't have built in writing, I ask them to write something else, possibly an icebreaker type topic, or for example, after the day 1 reflection, I ask them to share what form their reflection took (eg concept map, outline, etc.

[Denubis]

For some feedback from workshops I've run (in rather more compressed time scale), make sure to allocate fairly significant spinup-spindown time for breakout rooms. 2 minutes to get people into rooms and allocated, 2 minutes to return. Especially if you are using non-verbal feedback and zoom chat.

[ErinBecker]

Thank you @angela-li for starting this issue and to @tobyhodges @brownsarahm @Denubis for your thoughts. @karenword @klbarnes20 and I are working on revising the online workshops recommendation page and incorporating these suggestions. I'll be opening a thread on Discourse with the revised language for breakout rooms shortly for feedback!

[ErinBecker]

Discourse thread with proposed new language is here: https://forum.carpentries.org/t/revised-language-for-breakouts-section-of-recommendations-for-teaching-carpentries-workshops-online/150