The Breakout Method

Our Philosophy

Humans have been learning through storytelling and small-group discussions for thousands of years—around campfires, through religious teachings, and in philosophical dialogues. Socrates famously used the Socratic Method, a dialogical approach that engaged individuals in deep, probing questions to stimulate critical thinking. This tradition of interactive learning persists because it works. Decades of research show that small-group discussions are among the most effective, engaging, and enjoyable ways for students to learn. It’s no surprise—this format aligns with how humans have always learned best: by connecting, questioning, and exchanging ideas.

But if scenario-based learning and small-group discussions are so powerful, why aren’t we using them? Why do we defer to textbooks and Scantrons that reward students when they regurgitate facts?

Simply put, discussions don't scale. They logistically can’t be implemented in today’s large classrooms. And trying to create them through group homework doesn’t work: teachers have little to no visibility into the process. Some students dominate the discussion, others don’t talk at all. And the list of issues goes on.

But Breakout, using AI, has solved these problems—and more—with a brand new learning format.

Academic Advisory Board

For each of our academic fields, we appoint a board of leading professors to oversee the development of instructional materials. This includes crafting the curriculum and recruiting academic authors to work alongside our instructional designers and creative teams.

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Olav Sorensen, Ph.D.

Scalable, AI-evaluated discussions

Small-group discussions are the most powerful form of learning. We’re combining new technology with pedagogical best practices to create scalable, measurable, peer-led discussions—turning the most effective learning method into something practical and accessible for professors everywhere.

Instructional Design

To align with our format, all of our discussion modules are constructed with a backwards design: we start with key learning outcomes and create the learning experience around them.

Breakout’s academic authors identify the concepts along with real-world scenarios that illustrate them. Our in-house instructional design team then builds engaging content that brings these scenarios to life. Our discussion modules are flexible, and we even have options for professors to build discussion modules out of their existing course material.

Pre-Work

Before diving into the group session, students must read or listen to the Pre-Work. If the experience includes a Pre-Work Podcast, students can independently listen to a professionally produced podcast that introduces them to the main players in the experience and lays the groundwork for the learning objectives. The audio format is a great match for the busy lifestyles of today’s students, who grew up listening to podcasts. However, for more visual learners, there’s also an option to read a Pre-Work PDF which includes the same key background information.

Engaging Content

Next, students meet with their small groups on Breakout's platform, where they encounter immersive content that sets the stage for a vibrant discussion.

Every Breakout experience includes some combination of discussion prompts, videos, polls and/or quizzes.

Because today’s students grew up with TikTok and YouTube, most prefer multimedia content and immersive learning experiences that mirror the real world.

Breakout modules are designed to place students into the shoes of decision-makers. Students are prompted to discuss what they would do when faced with tough decisions.

Peer-led Discussion Groups

Students now engage in a meaningful discussion about the material. There’s no better way to develop critical thinking skills than to practice live discussion and debate in a small group.

Students are given the opportunity to listen to each other, try out their ideas, and facilitate their own conversations. They may encounter additional exhibits, such as financial statements, to help them support their claims and challenge others’ views. They have to use their communication and collaboration skills. Shy students, who might be terrified of being cold-called to speak in front of the entire class, have a chance to build their confidence. And above all, students are given the space to think and speak their minds.

End of Session - Summary - Side Panel Collapsed - V2

AI Assessment

As students engage in small-group discussions, magic is happening. Our platform captures a real-time transcript and runs it against a series of rubrics designed to measure the desired learning outcomes of the experience.

Instructors can log onto our platform, or check their email, to examine detailed data and insights from their students' completed sessions.

In this way, Breakout gives instructors a window into their students' small-group performance, which leads to a more engaging and powerful debrief.

It’s faster and more meaningful than a writing assignment (a meaningless exercise in the post-ChatGPT world), and there's nothing for instructors or TAs to grade. All of our assessment data integrates seamlessly with most major LMSs.

Highlighted Comments

Instructors can review the AI's highlighted comments from students who performed well on any given rubric—and can use those comments to recognize high-performing individuals during the debrief.

The data not only helps instructors with evaluation, but it also turns them into astonishing mind readers, as they are able to debrief each Breakout experience in a targeted, engaging way.

Lesson Rubrics

Most importantly, professors can see how each group—and each individual student—performed against a grading rubric designed to measure the learning objectives.

Bloom’s Taxonomy

All of our rubrics apply Bloom’s Taxonomy to assess the depth of the students’ understanding.

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The Breakout Method

The Breakout Method

Our Philosophy

Academic Advisory Board

Scalable, AI-evaluated discussions

Instructional Design

Pre-Work

Engaging Content

Peer-led Discussion Groups

AI Assessment

Highlighted Comments

Lesson Rubrics

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Create

Generate new ideas, products, or interpretations.

Evaluate

Assess the value, validity, or effectiveness of claims, decisions, or points of view.

Analyze

Break complex information into parts and examine their relationships.

Apply

Use acquired knowledge to solve problems, complete tasks, or apply ideas.

Understand

Grasp the meaning of information by interpreting or summarizing it.

Remember

Retain facts, terms, or concepts without deep understanding.

Always Evolving