Over the course of 2020 video platforms have become the norm in delivering online synchronous teaching. As a result there has been an innovation of features to support teachers in delivering lessons in a more pedagogical way. We have seen features such as breakout rooms, hands up and use of chat boxes which have allowed the development of how learning occurs. Platforms such as Zoom already had features such as breakout rooms which left some of the other platforms needing to catch up in responding to feedback from teachers, who had been relying on these resources to deliver teaching in lockdown. In this blog we will take a quick look at how breakout rooms can support formative assessment for teachers.
Breakout rooms become particularly popular with teachers who attended online CPD using the platform Zoom. As a result many teachers went back to their own schools and colleges and requested such features to support their own delivery. As we come to the end of 2020 other platforms such as Google Meet and Microsoft Teams have integrated breakout rooms into their operating features. So why are breakout rooms a key feature in helping teacher's deliver online learning?
Review pedagogical research and approaches to learning and you will see that pair or small group discussions can help formative assessment abilities of learner's prior to whole class questioning activities. Without breakout rooms this becomes near impossible to complete in a verbal manner and students miss out on the opportunity to discuss their thinking and knowledge with other class members or peers before speaking in front of a whole group. If we look at research from Professor John Hattie in his works making learning visible, we can see on his scale classroom discussion is rated at 0.82, making this an effective pedagogical approach to positively impact learning.
For teachers this means they can also enter and exit breakout rooms and sense check with learners where their knowledge may be at set points within a lesson. This is particularly beneficial in supporting formative assessment practices to help identify the teaching and learning gap in lessons. For larger groups this might not always be possible but teachers can make use of features such as polls and instant chat in which students can provide a summary of their discussions, so the teacher can quickly review and use it to form further questions. Breakout rooms also provide the opportunity for small group working tasks that can support further formative assessment activities. This could be particularly useful for project-based learning where learners will need to work together in groups to complete activities.
In his work on formative assessment Dylan Williams talks about how assessment should be frequent, low stakes and formative. The use of breakout rooms allows teachers the opportunity to formatively assess learners in smaller groups or in pair settings which can help develop the level / style of questioning that can then occur in whole-class discussions. To keep the assessment as low stakes, breakout rooms can also support the teacher in providing feedback in a more personal and inclusive way to learners. Relevant and precise feedback scores highly as you would expect on the Hattie scale but also helps in closing the teaching and learning gap, positively helping learners make progress in learning.
The use of breakout rooms will require practice and consistent use for both teachers and learners. I would encourage teachers to practice using this feature with their colleagues or if possible in smaller group lessons to help them in developing their practice moving forward. Teachers may also consider in lesson planning potential task structures that can allow for smooth use of breakout rooms. Consideration should be thought about for group or pair pairings to support behavioral management and maximise the impact of time spent within a breakout room for a learner.
If you would like to know more about breakout rooms and how they work please feel free to get in touch with us at Driving Digital
