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Instructor Guide | Student Guide
Introduction (or follow this Instructor's Guide)
Respondus LockDown Browser™ is a customized browser that increases the security of test delivery. When students use Respondus LockDown Browser to access an exam, they are unable to print, copy, go to another URL, or access other applications. Once an assessment is started, students are locked into it until it is submitted for grading. For a complete list of features, visit the Respondus web site at www.respondus.com.
Respondus LockDown Browser provides a custom interface for the Internet Explorer software that is already installed on a Windows computer. It does
not modify an existing copy of Internet Explorer, but rather, installs a separate program that displays a custom interface and set of features. Respondus LockDown Browser uses the same security features and service packs that are currently installed for Internet Explorer. Installing Respondus LockDown Browser won’t modify the current version of Internet Explorer in any way.
Respondus LockDown Browser is not intended to replace the browser used by faculty or students. Respondus LockDown Browser is only intended for use by students while taking assessments that have been prepared for use with Respondus LockDown Browser.
Preparing an Assessment for Use with Respondus LockDown Browser (or follow this Instructor's Guide)
To require that students use Respondus LockDown Browser to access an assessment, two things must first occur:
- The instructor must modify exam settings required by Respondus LockDown Browser.
- The student’s computer must have Respondus LockDown Browser installed.
Additional Tips and Suggestions (or follow this Instructor's Guide)
Make sure students know, well in advance, that they must use Responds LockDown Browser to take an online exam. This is particularly important if students are required to install Respondus LockDown Browser to their own computer. It’s recommended that you create a “practice exam” that requires the use of Respondus LockDown Browser.
Faculty and students should be aware that a Macintosh version of Respondus LockDown Browser is not currently available (a Macintosh OS X browser for Safari is in the works).
It is a good practice for instructors to preview the exam using Respondus LockDown Browser. The best approach is to log in as a student since instructor logins have different access rights. Previewing an exam is an especially good idea if a proctor password is being used.
Once an assessment is started with Respondus LockDown Browser, the assessment will appear in a full-screen window and all other applications and links are locked down. The assessment cannot be exited without clicking the “Finish” button.
If audio/video files are used in an assessment, the media player must be embedded in the question itself. This is the only way that students will have access to the control buttons, such as play, start, pause and stop.
Respondus LockDown Browser will maintain the “locked” testing environment even if a question contains a link to another web page (which opens another, secure browser window). However, all links that may appear on the new web page will be blocked, so be certain that the content students must see is available from the initial, linked page.
Making Online Exams Even More Secure
Respondus LockDown Browser is an important tool for preventing cheating on online exams, but it is not a total solution. For example, students working from remote locations could use two computers at once (one for taking the exam, the other for accessing other applications). Students could use digital cameras to capture the screen content, send text messages on mobile phones, or simply refer to printed notes.
Additional methods can be employed that further reduce the risk of cheating and ensure that students know the course material. Each approach below provides another “layer of security.” Even one or two of these items can often provide sufficient security for most assessments.
- Proctors - Having students take an exam in a room being monitored by a proctor is a major deterrent to most forms of cheating. Enhance this method by having the proctor check the identification of the student prior to the start of the exam, placing web cameras throughout the room, or using a “proctor password” (see next item). For distance courses, proctored settings can be established in other cities, even other countries. Because of the time and expense required for a proctored setting, proctors are sometimes used only with high-stake assessments (e.g., mid-term exams, final exams).
- Proctor Passwords (setting) - A proctor password prevents students from accessing the exam until a password has been supplied. Proctor passwords can be typed by the proctors themselves (for added security) or conveyed to the student at the start of the exam.
- Attempts Allowed (setting) – By only allowing one attempt for an assessment, students will not be able to determine the questions in the assessment, look up the answers at a later time, and then retake the assessment.
- Results Displayed to Students (setting) – Do not release the score until all students have taken the assessment. If you want to prevent students from printing or copying questions after the assessment has been delivered (i.e., protecting the questions for future terms), then do not allow students to see the question text when their scores are released.
- Answer Randomization (setting) - Answer choices to multiple choice questions can easily be randomized. This setting is selected at the time a question is created.
- Question Randomization (setting) - Question randomization ensures that the question order is different for each student. An alternative approach is to create a “question set” which will also display questions in random order.
- Create Question Sets (setting) - “Questions Sets” are pools of questions that generally assess similar content. During an assessment, the questions are randomly drawn from the pool (i.e., question set) so that each student sees a different set of questions. For example, the first question in an exam might be drawn from a pool of 5 questions, making the odds only 1 in 5 that students will see that same question. Question sets are ideal for creating alternate forms of the same question.
- Calculated questions - Calculated questions, typically used in math and science courses, include variables in the question wording. The values for these variables are randomly generated, so students encountering the same question must give unique answers.
- IP Address Verification (setting) - If assessments are being delivered from a central location, the IP address (or a partial address) for those computers can be specified, thus preventing access from other locations.
- Assessment Duration (setting) - By limiting the time a student can spend on an assessment, students can be discouraged from consulting other sources since they won’t have time to do so.
- Availability Dates and Times (setting) - This setting restricts the availability of the assessment to a specific date/time range.
- Deliver questions one at a time (setting) - By having exam questions delivered one at a time, it makes it more difficult for students to capture the exam contents using a digital camera (e.g., 50 questions requires 50 pictures).
- Code of Conduct - Have students sign an honesty statement that summarizes the expectations and requirements for academic honesty.
- Other methods of assessment - Combine objective tests with other methods of assessment, such as group projects and writing assignments. Essay questions also make it difficult for students to cheat on a traditional assessment, knowing that the instructor may recognize an answer that has been copied from another student.
Working with Students
Since instructors are generally the first line of support for students who encounter problems, it is important to understand how Respondus LockDown Browser will work for students.
Installation of Respondus LockDown Browser (or follow this Student's Guide)
To avoid last-minute problems, it is strongly recommended that Respondus LockDown Browser be installed and tested well before students are expected to use it for an exam. If students are installing Respondus LockDown Browser to their own computers, we suggest that you create a sample quiz where the sole purpose is to confirm whether students have successfully installed the Respondus LockDown Browser and understand how to use it for taking an assessment.
To download and install Respondus LockDown Browser, follow these steps:
Taking an Assessment with Respondus LockDown Browser (or follow this Student's Guide)
Once Respondus LockDown Browser has been installed, students should follow these steps to take an assessment that has been prepared for use with Respondus LockDown Browser:
- Close all programs, unless one is used to connect you to the Internet.
- Locate the “Respondus LockDown Browser” shortcut on the Windows desktop and double-click it. (Alternatively, click “Start” in Windows, select “Programs,” select “Respondus,” and then click “Respondus LockDown Browser.”)
- The browser will start and go to the login page. (If a warning message indicates that one or more applications must first be exited – e.g., Instant Messenger – then exit the specified applications and restart the browser.)
- Log in by entering the user ID and Password. Select the appropriate course and then select the assessment.
If a proctor password is being used for the assessment, the student should select “Yes” and enter the password. If a proctor password is not being used, the student should select “No.” Click the “Continue” button. Once an assessment is started using Respondus LockDown Browser, students will be unable to exit the assessment until the “Finish” button is clicked.
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