Managing Effective Virtual Breakout Groups Rebecca Ranucci Ph

Managing Effective Virtual Breakout Groups Rebecca Ranucci, Ph. D. Assistant Professor of Management Barney School of Business OCTOBER 27, 2021

Agenda • Challenges with virtual breakout discussions • Preparing for virtual breakout discussions • Managing virtual breakout discussions

Breakout Groups vs. Teams Breakout groups • Groups with random membership • Episodic: Only meet for short time periods in a class session • Class Applications Teams • Groups with consistent membership • Reoccurring: Meet in and out of class sessions regularly • Major course project 3

Challenges with virtual breakout groups • • Groups slow to start work/discussion Resistance to be the first to talk What do we need to be doing? Reluctance to seek clarification Ghost students (muted, no video, no chat) Lack of sustained commitment to the discussion Lack of depth to the discussion Divide and work independently • Changed Preparation for breakout groups • Changed how I manage breakout groups 4

Preparing for virtual breakout groups • Know how breakout groups work in your platform • Random assignment of small groups (3 -4 students) • Define breakout behavioral expectations • Provide explicit instruction and repeat it wherever possible • Create a deliverable 5

Preparing for virtual breakout groups • Know how breakout groups work in your platform • Random assignment of small groups (3 -4 students) • Define breakout behavioral expectations • Provide explicit instruction and repeat it wherever possible • Create a deliverable ü Video On ü Break the ice by doing a round of quick introductions ü Consider assigning roles • Everyone gets a role: Leader/Facilitator, Notetaker, Devil’s Advocate, Spokesperson, etc. • Assign one person to start and/or facilitate (e. g. Person with first name that comes first alphabetically) ü Everyone must contribute ü Work together. Do not divide and work independently ü Don’t do nothing – ask for help if you need it! (e. g. chat, in Teams invite professor into breakout group) 6

Preparing for virtual breakout groups • Know how breakout groups work in your platform • Random assignment of small groups (3 -4 students) • Define breakout behavioral expectations • Provide explicit instruction and repeat it wherever possible • Create a deliverable • On your Slides • On Blackboard • Copy and paste the discussion questions into chat after the breakout groups start • Keep the workload manageable • Ask questions that build on each other so they can’t divide up the work 7

Preparing for virtual breakout groups • Know how breakout groups work in your platform • Random assignment of small groups (3 -4 students) • Define breakout behavioral expectations • Provide explicit instruction and repeat it wherever possible • Create a deliverable • Answer Sheet that each individual must submit on Blackboard • An online form that each team must fill out • A set of Key Take-Aways that each team must post in chat when they return to the large group • Set expectation of report out from each group (and maybe each individual in each group) during debrief 8

Managing Virtual Breakout Discussions • Make sure they are ready to start discussion as soon as they get into their breakout groups • Monitor mics • Visit breakout groups • Give time updates • Debrief • Right now, watch this video link/read this article (put in chat) • Tell them when they should be done • Repeat discussion questions • Remind them of the roles (if you use roles) • Remind them of the deliverable • Send them into breakouts • Post discussion questions again in chat to all students 9

Managing Virtual Breakout Discussions • Make sure they are ready to start discussion as soon as they get into their breakout groups • Monitor mics • Visit breakout groups • Give time updates • Debrief 10

Managing Virtual Breakout Discussions • Make sure they are ready to start discussion as soon as they get into their breakout groups • Monitor mics • Visit breakout groups • Give time updates • Debrief • Randomly drop into all or some breakout group discussions • Switch audio and microphone to headset when you drop into breakout groups This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC 11

Managing Virtual Breakout Discussions • Make sure they are ready to start discussion as soon as they get into their breakout groups • Monitor mics • Visit breakout groups • Give time updates • Debrief This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA 12

Managing Virtual Breakout Discussions • Make sure they are ready to start discussion as soon as they get into their breakout groups • Monitor mics • Visit breakout groups • Give time updates • Debrief • Try not to skip the debrief • Kick off debrief by soliciting quick response from all groups • Use a poll • Fill out a shared form (Teams, Shared doc) • Show online form results • Post response to short question in chat • Report out from each group (and maybe each individual in each group) 13

Other ideas for managing effective virtual breakout groups?

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