Table Mode enables participants to communicate within their assigned tables, promoting small-group collaboration. This article details how to utilize Table Mode effectively.
Engageli classrooms typically open in Room Mode, but Instructors can easily switch to Table Mode by selecting it from the audio Mode dropdown, found at the bottom-left of the screen. An example screenshot is provided below:
Table Mode is ideal for facilitating small group discussions, projects, and other table activities
When Table Mode is active, Learners will only hear the following participants:
- Their tablemates.
- Any users currently at the podium: This includes the Instructor (assuming they aren't visiting a table) and any learners with their hands raised.
There are a few important things to note relating to Table Mode:
- Learners will no longer see the "Class Gallery" tab at the top-left of the screen: it will be replaced with a "Tablemates" tab.
- If the classroom is in Room Mode and an Instructor joins a table, Engageli will automatically switch the classroom to Table Mode.
- While an Instructor is at a table, the classroom cannot be switched to Room Mode. To switch to Room Mode, the Instructor must return to the podium by leaving the table.
- In Table Mode, only participants at the Podium (e.g. learners with their hands raised and Instructors not visiting a table) will have their video and audio appear in the class recording. Speech that takes place at a table will not be included in the recording.
- In Table Mode, participants at the Podium (such as learners with their hands raised and Instructors who are not visiting a table) will be unable to hear anyone speaking at a table. You can identify this visually: if you're at the Podium and looking at the "Class Gallery", anyone speaking at their table will show a moving green audio/mic indicator, but it will have a red circle around it. This means that they are speaking, but you won't hear them. Their tablemates will hear them just fine, though. A picture is provided below of this indicator:
- Instructors can change the classroom settings to make Table Mode the default mode when starting a session.
- The overlay gallery is disabled in Table Mode.
Below is a sample screenshot of how things will appear from the Learner's perspective while in Table Mode:
Breakout Tables
In Table Mode, instructors can enable breakout tables—dedicated spaces for small-group discussions where participants can only interact with their tablemates. These tables operate independently from the main classroom, so participants cannot hear the instructor or podium speakers unless they move to a non-breakout table.
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