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Remote learning: how to make the best use of small group sessions
Whether they're in lessons or having a break, pupils learning remotely can benefit from small group activities. See how video calls and breakout rooms can give your pupils opportunities to talk, play and work together while they're learning at home.
Contents
With thanks to the schools that contributed to this article - find out more about them at the bottom of this page.
Split classes up into breakout rooms during live lessons
This is one of the features provided with digital education platforms including Microsoft Teams and Google Classroom.
As you would in a physical classroom, let older pupils work independently in small groups, with teaching staff moving between the different breakout rooms to supervise.
Younger pupils (early years and Key Stage 1) may need more support from staff to work in breakout rooms. This could involve:
- Putting a member of teaching or support staff in each room
- The teacher moving between breakout rooms more often
- Shorter breakout sessions with more of the lesson taking place all together
Randomly assign pupils to groups during live lessons Pre-select pupils for each group Run
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- Feature comparison: Google Workspace for Education and Office 365 Education
- G Suite for Education: instructions for pupils, parents and staff
- How 4 primary schools are making excellent use of G Suite for Education or Office 365 Education
- How 4 secondary schools are making excellent use of G Suite for Education or Office 365 Education
- How to deliver live lessons to pupils learning from home and in school
- How to track the quality of your remote learning: strategies and templates
- Live lessons and 1-to-1 video calls: template risk assessment
- Mythbuster: 7 misconceptions about digital education platforms
- Office 365 Education: instructions for pupils, parents and staff
- Remote learning: alternative methods for providing laptops
- Remote learning: how 5 primary schools use formative assessment in live lessons
- Remote learning: how 5 secondary schools use formative assessment in live lessons
- Remote learning: how to deal with ‘over-supportive’ parents
- Remote learning: how to keep pupils with EAL on-track
- Remote learning: how to provide effective feedback
- Remote learning: how to provide opportunities for peer interaction
- Remote learning: how to support disadvantaged pupils
- Remote learning: how to support parents of pupils with SEND
- Remote learning: how to support parents who are struggling
- Remote learning: how to support pupils with SEND
- Remote learning: loaning IT equipment to pupils and staff
- Remote learning: monitoring pupil engagement
- Remote learning: programmes and webinars offering additional support
- Remote learning: self-evaluation form (SEF)
- Remote learning: strategies to tackle low engagement
- Staff briefing: how to design and deliver remote lessons
- Top tips for making blended learning more manageable
- Why every school should use a digital education platform
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