Are you into online distance learning? How is your cooperative learning at this time of pandemic? Technology is a powerful weapon to address teachers’ concerns in utilizing strategies that match the curriculum and the current educational condition.
Cooperative learning has been a pedagogical cornerstone. It is believed that through the small groups of learners assisting one another that successful learning exists. Given the current situation in education, teachers continue to find ways to harness the benefits of cooperative learning. A lot of software and applications have been explored to provide quality teaching and learning process. One of the useful Chrome extensions is Breakout Rooms by Robert Hudek; it is free and can be used to facilitate cooperative learning in Google Meet.
Back in the days of face-to-face learning, learners were able to do brainstorming among themselves while working on a certain task at the assigned area inside or outside the classroom; the teacher monitored the learners by roaming around the area and giving technical assistance when necessary.
In an online class, this is still doable. The teacher can create rooms via Breakout Rooms where learners of the same group can enter and do their healthy discussion. The teacher can monitor all of the rooms just by using the navigation keys in the interface of this extension. The teacher can simultaneously broadcast to all the rooms by controlling his/her mic, video cam, and even speaker. It is almost just like monitoring CCTVs.
To set up the Breakout rooms, add it as Google Chrome extension. In the interface, you will find the Menu Tab, click the settings to customize the display of the breakout rooms into separate or same windows, the color of the meet toolbar, the background image, and the automation of other settings. If you click the Courses tab, you can create the list of courses that you are managing. In the Rooms tab, you can create and name the rooms; the links of the rooms will automatically generate once you click the save icon. Finally, in the Meet Tab, you can launch the breakout rooms and smoothly supervise the activities around the rooms just by clicking the arrow left and right, and you can interact with the learners either in one room or with all of the groups from different rooms by clicking the speaker, mic, and video icons.
The Google Meet Breakout Rooms is suitable for your group dynamics during synchronous online learning. Indeed, the technology has transcended the limitations brought by the pandemic; it has made the education flexible and the learning possible.
By: Adelyn F. Ocampo|Teacher I|Sergia Soriano Esteban Integrated School II|Olongapo City
