Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor – Getting Started

Overview and Tech Requirements #

Respondus has two tools used for D2L/Brightspace Quiz security.  A LockDown Browser prevents users from accessing resources outside of a Quiz.  The second tool is Respondus Monitor which records the student as they take the exam, thus deterring behaviors associated with cheating.  Here’s a video that explains each tool:

Tech Requirements #

Students must have the following to use LockDown Browser:

• Windows: 10, 8, 7
• Mac: MacOS 10.15 to 10.12, OS X 10.11, OSX 10.10
• iOS: 11.0+ (iPad only).
• Ability to install applications

Students must have the following to use Respondus Monitor:

• Windows: 10, 8, 7
• Mac: OS X 10.10 or higher
• iOS: 10.0+ (iPad only).
• Web camera (internal or external) & microphone
• A broadband internet connection

Quick Start Guides #

• Student Quick Start Guide to LockDown Browser and Monitor
• Instructor Quick Start Guide to LockDown Browser and Monitor

Turn on Surveys and Self-Assessments #

One of the first steps in configuring LockDown Browser/Monitor is to turn on the Surveys and Self-Assessments tools.

These tools are used by Respondus to integrate and function with the Quizzes in D2L (PPCC Online).

The process to turn on both tools is as follows:

1. Go to your course and select the More link, a list of other links will appear, select Course Admin.
   
2. The Course Administration area, allows you to configure various settings for your course. We will want to select the Tools link from under the Administration category.
   
3. You are now on the Tools screen, which allows you to turn on/off various tools for your course. To allow Respondus LockDown Browser/Monitor to work, we need to enable the Surveys and Self-Assessments tools.
4. To do so, click on the status toggle to the right of Surveys and Self-Assessments and make sure a checkmark displays. The tools are now turned on.

Create the Quiz w/ Restrictions in D2L #

Creating the quiz in D2L is identical whether you choose use LockDown Browser and/or Monitor or not.  Here’s some videos that can help you create a Quiz in D2L:

• Quizzes – Customize Submission Views
• Quizzes – Create a New Quiz with New Questions – Instructor
• Quizzes – Associate a Quiz with a Grade Item

NOTE: LDB and Monitor only work with the Quiz tool in D2L.  If you want to use either tool for a quiz outside D2L, such as MyMathLab or Cengage MindTap, please contact eLearning. There are customized solutions for many third party tools.

Turn on LDB and/or Monitor from Tab #

With your Quiz created, you can now turn on LockDown Browser and/or Monitor.

1. To get started, go to the Quizzes area of your course, and then select the tab called LockDown Browser.
   
2. You will see the About LockDown Browser screen, where you can click on tutorials/resources on LockDown Browser. To continue, click on ‘Continue to LockDown Browser‘. You can always click on the checkbox titled, ‘Don’t Show This Page Again‘, to skip this screen in the future.
   
3. The next screen may take a while to load, so please be patient. Once it does, you should be taken to the Respondus LockDown Browser Dashboard.
4. The dashboard allows you to edit the LockDown Browser/Monitor settings for any quiz in your course. Along with seeing the status of any settings you have turned on.
   
5. To edit the settings for a quiz, click on the down arrow next to a quiz and select ‘Settings‘.
   
6. The LockDown Browser and Monitor settings for the quiz will expand. To require LockDown Browser and/or Monitor for a quiz, simply click on the option titled, ‘Require Respondus LockDown Browser/Monitor for this Exam‘.
   
7. When turning on Respondus LockDown Browser and/or Monitor for a quiz, you will be presented with a wealth of various options which will be covered in detail below. Once you are done configuring the settings for your quiz, click on Save and Close to finish.
   

Settings for Respondus LockDown Browser #

Password Settings #

• Password to access exam – This setting would require the student to type in a password to access the exam. eLearning recommends only using this feature in a proctored environment.

Advanced Settings #

• Lock students into the browser until exam is completed – eLearning doesn’t recommend using this setting, as it requires students to type in a password to exit the exam. This setting would only work in a proctored environment.
• Allow students to take this exam with an iPad – This option allows students to use the ‘LockDown Browser app‘ from the Apple appstore, to take the exam.
• Allow access to specific external web domains – This option allows you to add any URLs of sites that students could visit to assist with their exam. I.E. you could place a link to an article that students would need to analyze during a written exam.
• Enable Calculator on the Toolbar – You can allow a standard or scientific calculator to be available to students within the LockDown Browser.
• Enable Printing from the Toolbar – This enables printing during the exam, keep in mind this could allow students the ability to print the exam.

Settings for Respondus Monitor #

Startup Sequence #

In this section you can select which parts of the Startup Sequence are included. For example, you could require students to show an ID to verify they are who they are. In addition some sections such as Additional Instructions, allow you to customize the text that appears to students.

You can always Preview any section to see how it would appear to students.

Facial Detection Options #

• Prevent students from starting the exam if face cannot be detected during Startup Sequence – This setting will prevent the student from starting an exam, unless their face can be detected.
• Notify students during the exam if face cannot be detected (prompt for a fix) – If a student’s face is no longer detected during an exam (I.E. they moved off camera), then the exam cannot be continued until their face is detected again.

Advanced Settings #

• Allow another application to use the microphone during this exam – By default, Respondus Monitor takes control of the student’s microphone to listen for background noise/audio to prevent cheating. However, there may be an instance where you would need the student to use their microphone to speak their answer during an exam. Selecting this setting, allows students to use their microphone for other uses.
• Make webcam videos additionally available for viewing on mobile devices – This allows the videos from the results page, to be viewable on mobile devices for instructors. We recommend (when possible), accessing PPCC Online via your desktop or laptop, for the best user experience.
• Demo student username – eLearning does not recommend using this setting. Instead you can impersonate Aarnie to demo the exam.

Review Results #

Once your students have completed the quiz, it’s now time for you to review the results.  Go to the Quizzes tool and click on the LockDown Browser tab:

From here, you can click the drop down next to any quiz to see the

Settings allows you to adjust the requirements you set up earlier.

Class Results allows you to view how the class did and review for any Priority viewings.  By clicking the + next to the student quiz, you can see details along with a video of the student taking the exam:

Exam Stats shows details about how the class is taking the Quiz: