Breakout rooms for online lessons: how to split a class into pairs
In a real classroom a teacher says "get into pairs" and ten seconds later everyone is working. On a video call that used to be impossible: twenty people in one room, one person talking, everyone else waiting. Breakout rooms fix this: the meeting splits into small rooms for a while, and then everyone comes back to the main one. Here is why that matters in a lesson, how it works on Joyin, and which formats work best.
Why split a lesson into groups
Do the maths. In a 60-minute English lesson with eight students, each one speaks for three or four minutes at most. Put the class into pairs for 20 minutes and every student gets another ten minutes of real speaking. For conversation practice that is the difference between "I listened to a lesson" and "I actually talked".
Beyond languages, groups help wherever you need activity rather than a lecture:
- solving a problem in twos or threes, then explaining it to the class;
- peer review of each other's work;
- preparing a short project or presentation;
- role-plays, interviews and debates;
- giving quiet students a voice: it is hard to stay silent in a group of three.
How to split a meeting into groups on Joyin
The feature is called Groups and it lives inside the meeting room. The host does the split:
- Tap Groups on the meeting toolbar.
- Choose how to split: people per group (2, 3, 4 or 5) or the number of groups. Joyin does the maths and never leaves anyone alone: five people in pairs becomes a three and a two.
- Split at random or assign people yourself. In manual mode you drag a student into a group; on a phone you just tap the name.
- Write a task (optional) and set a timer. For example: "Tell each other about your weekend using the past simple. Then swap."
- Send everyone to their groups.
Students move to their groups with their camera and microphone exactly as they were. Anyone who joins late lands in the main room, and you can move them into any group.
What the student sees
Inside a group the student has everything they need not to get lost:
- the group name and the task at the top of the screen;
- how much time is left;
- a group chat that only the group's members can see;
- a "Call the host" button if the group gets stuck;
- a one-minute warning before the end.
If the host allows it, students can also pick their own group or return to the main room on their own.
What the teacher does while groups are working
The teacher stays in the main room and sees a panel: who is in which group, who is calling for help, and how much time is left. From the panel you can:
- drop into any group, listen and leave;
- send an announcement to all groups at once ("five minutes left, choose who reports back");
- add two minutes if the groups need more time;
- bring everyone back to the main room with one button.
Regular pairs: saved group sets
If you teach the same group with the same pairs every week, you do not need to rebuild the layout each time. Tap "Save set", give it a name, and next time start it from "From a set" in one click. Sets also work in permanent rooms and can be edited in your dashboard. People in a set are matched by account, so students without an account are not saved to it.
Ready-made lesson formats
| Format | Group size | Timer | Example task |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking practice | 2 | 5 to 7 minutes per round | Ask your partner about their day, then swap |
| Problem solving | 3 to 4 | 10 to 15 minutes | Solve the problem and choose who explains it |
| Peer review | 2 | 10 minutes | Check your partner's essay against three criteria |
| Debate | 2 groups | 10 minutes to prepare | Group 1 for, group 2 against, prepare three arguments |
| Mini project | 4 to 5 | 20 to 30 minutes | Plan a five-slide presentation |
A tip from practice: the first time, use a short timer and a simple task. Once students have seen how it works, groups run without any explaining.
Good to know in advance
- Groups work in the browser, on a computer or a phone. Students who joined through the mobile app stay in the main room for now, so ask everyone to join a group lesson by link from the browser.
- Recording covers the main room only; conversations in groups are not recorded. If you need the result, ask each group to report back.
- Up to 20 groups per meeting and up to 100 participants per meeting.
- There is no time limit on the meeting or on the groups. On free Zoom the whole lesson, groups included, ends after 40 minutes; Google Meet has no breakout rooms on personal accounts at all.
- Students join as guests and leave no e-mail or phone number behind; media runs through servers in Germany and data is stored in the EU.
FAQ
How much does it cost?
Nothing. Groups on Joyin are free, like the meeting itself: no time limit and no plans.
Do students need to sign up?
No. A student opens the link in a browser, types a name and is in. An account is only needed if you want to save regular pairs as a set.
How is this different from Zoom and Google Meet?
Google Meet only offers breakout rooms on paid plans. Free Zoom has them, but the whole lesson, groups included, ends after 40 minutes. On Joyin groups are free and have no timer. More in free breakout rooms without the 40-minute cut-off.
Can I use groups in a one-to-one lesson?
There is no point: groups need at least two students. For one-to-one teaching, see the best free video platform for online tutoring.
Try it in your next lesson: create a meeting, send the link to your students and tap Groups once everyone is in. Everything about groups is on the Joyin breakout rooms page, and everything for teachers on Joyin for teachers.
