What if quiet classes are a design choice?
What if we gave students a reason (and opportunity) to think out loud?
In our recent webinar, LSU professor Jake Smith showed how moving from PDFs and write ups to small group conversations changed the tone of his MBA management courses. Students spoke up, challenged ideas, and actually asked for more. Breakout Learning's AI acted like a teaching assistant, turning real transcripts into targeted feedback so he can teach the next class with purpose.
The best part? Jake's students kept asking for Breakout. 96.7% rated the homework 4 or 5 stars.
Jake also talked about partnership. He started with off the shelf modules, then worked with our team to build a brand new communications course. The lift was lighter, the support was consistent, and version one felt like version four.
Check out some of the highlights below, and we hope to catch you at our next webinar!
Quiet Students Speak Up
LSU's Jake Smith explains how Breakout's platform for small group discussions gave hesitant students real airtime and safe stakes to contribute. Without Breakout acting like a TA, he gets quick overviews and dashboards that surface gaps to cover next class.
Connections That Stick
Jake describes how rotating small groups helped students meet new peers and build real networks. Students who rarely spoke up engaged more, and many asked for more Breakout Learning sessions because the conversations made large classes feel small.
"Now I Have a Partner"
Jake shares how working with Breakout Learning turned course design from daunting solo work into a partnership. Together, they're building a new communications course from scratch that meets employer needs and launches as a version one that feels like version four.
Connection Fuels Engagement
Nearly 97 percent of Jake’s students rated their homework on Breakout Learning 4 or 5. Jake credits peer connection, low stakes, and real airtime, plus modern multimedia cases instead of long PDFs.
Version One That Works
Jake explains how building with Breakout Learning saved years of work. Version one felt like version four, with week one walkthroughs to preview the student experience and an easy path to adapt existing courses.
Learning Between Classes
Jake shares the rhythm he's structured for using Breakout's Nextbook for weekly discussion modules. Students complete Breakout sessions after their Thursday class, and Jake uses those insights to recap and reinforce core objectives the following Tuesday.
Quality Over Quantity
Jake uncovers insights into his use of Breakout's grading tools, explaining that students' talk time is only feedback, not the grade. He keeps discussions low stakes with clear transparency, weighting comprehension and engagement so students focus on substance, not airtime.
Thank you to Jake Smith and our Co-Founder Steven Walters for showing what it looks like like to swap static text for conversation, use AI like a TA in every group discussion, and treat course design as a true partnership. If you missed it, we hope to see you at our next webinar!
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