Recording student conversations in Zoom breakout rooms

Many syllabi include some type of interpersonal speaking activity or assessment.  Prior to Covid-19, use of the Digital Language Lab (DiLL) in Jones Hall was the most popular way to pair students randomly and record their conversation.  It was efficient, because all student pairs could be recorded at the same time, and the MP3 files could be accessed later on the instructor's personal computer.  Over the past few months, instructors have experimented with how to replicate this system using Zoom.  After some trial and error, we want to share with you our crowd-sourced best practices on how to record student conversations in Zoom breakout rooms.  With this method, students record the conversations themselves and upload the digital files to Canvas to share them with the instructor.  If you plan to use this method for an assessment, we recommend practicing the steps with students the day before.  This will help both you and your students be more comfortable when the stakes are higher.

Step 1 - Grant participants recording privileges

1. Click on Participants from the lower menu bar

2. Manually, allow students to record by hovering over their names in the Participants list > Click more > Allow record

  

Step 2 - Post any role-play guides in the chat

1. If you have information or texts students should use during the conversation, you can post them in the main room chat now.  Students will still be able to see it once they are in their breakout rooms.

Step 3 - Create Breakout rooms, randomly assign partners

1. Click on Breakout rooms from the lower menu bar

2. Enter the number of rooms needed based on the number of students (by half)

3. Select Assign automatically participants. This will randomize groups. 

4. Click Options and Select Automatically move all participants into breakout rooms. 

Step 4 - Students begin recording

1. Tell students they should each now click Record to begin recording.  Although they are in the main room now, their individual recording will seamlessly move with them into the breakout room and later back to the main room.

Step 5 - Launch Breakout rooms

1. Click on Open all rooms

2. Click on Broadcast message to give students any reminders or time warnings as they record

Step 6 - Close Breakout rooms, stop recording

1. Click on Close all breakout rooms.

2. Once students are back in the main room, students should click on the gray square to Stop recording.  Make sure students have not only paused the recording.  They must completely stop it for the recording to be saved.

Step 7 - Review submission procedures in Canvas

1. Explain to students that the recordings will be generated once you end the meeting. 

2. Share your screen, review process for locating Zoom files in their computers

3. Review uploading procedures in the Canvas assignment.