Webassign Lockdown Browser
Instructors can prevent cheating by mandating that students take quizzes and tests in the free Webassign LockDown Browser. When an assignment requires this browser, students cannot use instant messaging services, search the Internet, print texts or use any other programs on their computers – this way eliminating cheating altogether!
Even with all these measures in place, some students still find it easy to cheat on Webassign assignments. In this article we’ll look at several techniques you can use to cheat during a Webassign exam.
Requires a Password
WebAssign LockDown Browser restrictions prevent students from engaging in distracting behaviors such as instant messaging, searching the Internet and printing while working on assignments. This restriction helps eliminate cheating during tests or homework sessions and instructors can require their students to install this extension prior to taking exams or homework tasks.
Before adding WebAssign exams to Blackboard courses, they must first be created as password protected exams in WebAssign. To do this, navigate to any content area and click Create Question, enter exam information and click Submit. Upon submitting, copy the link address listed next to “Exam Link,” which will show in Blackboard tests as a hyperlink that opens in WebAssign LockDown Browser windows.
Requiring both LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor as part of their exam setup helps prevent students from abusing technology to cheat on assignments. Teachers can monitor which computer students are taking tests from, while IP addresses allow for accurate tracking.
Many students attempt to cheat on WebAssign homework or quizzes by resorting to various tactics, including impersonation. Others use technological gadgets, like scientific calculators or Bluetooth devices, in an attempt to cheat their exams. Instructors can prevent such behavior by mandating that students utilize Respondus Lockdown Browser when accessing these assignments or exams from WebAssign.
Some iCollege students may not realize their instructors require them to use the Respondus LockDown Browser when taking tests, which could result in them receiving lower grades due to not using this correct browser or entering blank passwords for exams.
Unaware that their instructors require them to use Respondus Browser can still take iCollege tests without it, though Chrome won’t function correctly and may display an error message that reads, “Google Chrome OS can’t open this page. To take the quiz or test properly, LockDown Browser installation would be necessary in this instance.
Prevents Copying
Instructors looking to ensure Webassign tests remain free from cheating can require students to use Respondus Lockdown Browser specialized software during exams or quizzes. This application restricts students’ computer activities during assignment timeframe, making it impossible for them to access instant messaging, search the web or copy text or print. Available for Windows and Mac computers only (it does not support iPads) the Respondus Lockdown Browser can be installed through WebAssign or McGraw-Hill Connect; for optimal safety it should be done under proctored circumstances for maximum protection and extra security measures.
Webassign can detect when students attempt to copy text during tests by monitoring keystrokes and mouse movements, monitoring user screens, preventing tab switching or using applications which help find answers, disabling copy/paste functions in keyboards and right-click options for mice – making it more difficult to transfer answers between devices.
Instructors can control where students can access Webassign tests by requiring them to enter a password when taking tests and only permitting certain IP addresses access it. This ensures students use only their own devices for taking Webassign exams; additionally, this tracking feature can identify whether someone else may be accessing them illegally.
Students can download and install the LockDown browser from their Webassign homepage before accessing an assignment by clicking its name in either home or assignments pages, noting its padlock icon so they know it requires them to access. When their test is over, they can uninstall this software and resume normal computer activity.
Webassign differs from most textbooks by not offering an abundance of additional questions that can be downloaded for practice, but does provide access to many question banks for various subjects; some of these collections can be purchased, while many more may be made freely available to current students. Furthermore, instructors can import their own questions to customize assessments for courses they teach using Webassign.
Prevents Printing
Students taking Canvas quizzes requiring Respondus LockDown Browser cannot print or navigate away from the page during testing, but can access outside tools like media files by linking them directly to each question in LockDown Browser so they can listen or watch while answering it.
Webassign Lockdown Browser does more than prevent printing; it also stops users from searching the Internet and using screen-capture programs to record their test. Furthermore, instant messaging and other non-essential applications may be disabled during an exam session.
Webassign assignments displaying the LockDown Browser icon indicate they must be opened using Webassign’s free Lockdown Browser; other applications, mobile devices such as iPads and Linux/UNIX computers will not work to open them. Students attempting to access these assignments through any other method will get a message saying it must be opened using one of Webassign-supported browsers on either PCs or Macs for optimal viewing experience.
No matter the many safeguards Webassign Lockdown Browser provides against cheating, some students still attempt to cheat their homework and tests with Webassign. They might do this by hiring professional writers for answers or employing technological devices; desperate students who seek high marks might resort to impersonation whereby sharing their login details with professional writers so that they may take the exam in their name and secure high marks – an unethical practice which violates terms of service for online courses in which students enroll.
Prevents Surfing
WebAssign Lockdown Browser is a special browser designed to prevent cheating during online quizzes or tests by disallowing students from accessing other programs or websites on their computers while taking an exam or assessment online. If they attempt to use other applications or websites during a WebAssign Lockdown Browser-required assessment, they will receive an error message saying they cannot continue until closing out of it.
Students need to install the WebAssign Lockdown Browser before taking an exam or quiz, so it’s advisable to give them practice using it on a low-stakes practice quiz or assessment before the real test or quiz begins. Lab administrators should ensure there is ample time for this step before students arrive in order to install all copies of it on all computers in time.
Instructors creating tests or assignments requiring use of WebAssign LockDown Browser will notice a padlock icon to indicate students must install this browser to complete it. Once their assignment has been opened in LockDown Browser mode, students won’t be able to access other programs or sites on their computers or iPads such as instant messaging, searching the Internet or printing.
WebAssign also works with Securexam, a proctoring service which employs software to monitor candidate actions during tests and identify any attempts at cheating or plagiarizing. When such activity is detected during an examination session, WebAssign’s software alerts instructors of an anomaly being identified – alerting them immediately that an attempt at fraud or cheating has taken place.