Pearson Lockdown
Pearson Lockdown, an exam proctoring tool, is used in select Northwest Texas Community College (NWTC) courses to prevent students from cheating during exams. It may be used with or without Respondus Monitor as part of exam supervision.
To take a lockdown exam, the Pearson Lockdown Browser must be installed on the computer you will use – whether it be in a lab setting or from home.
What is a Lockdown Test or Quiz?
Lockdown tests are online quizzes or exams in which students use Respondus LockDown browser to take it, restricting their ability to access other applications, websites, programs or files on their computer during examination time. In addition, this software records their webcam footage in order to detect cheating during an exam session.
Lockdown browsers resemble regular Internet browsers but with many of their features disabled or removed, such as URL fields, back, forward, stop and refresh buttons and window reopen/close capability limited or even removed entirely. Students taking Lockdown tests must use a dedicated laptop or desktop computer as opposed to tablets such as iPads or Chromebooks.
Instructors who create quizzes that require Respondus LockDown browser or Respondus Monitor will see a message “Requires Respondus Lockdown Browser” appear in Canvas Quizzes tab, informing students they need this browser in order to complete it. When clicking on one such quiz, students are then prompted to download and install it prior to taking their exam. Alternatively, an instructor could set up a sample quiz so students may try out Respondus LockDown browser functionality before taking their actual examinations.
Within the Settings of a quiz, instructors can also choose whether to enable a print button in the browser and/or standard or scientific calculator on the toolbar. For more information on these settings, click [explain] immediately after each setting selection.
Instructors can create quizzes in which students must enter a password before beginning an exam, an option typically reserved for in-person proctoring of tests in classrooms or labs.
Before students take any Lockdown test or quiz, it is advisable to review basic troubleshooting tips on the University’s LockDown Browser student support page, watch a Respondus training webinar, or refer to their Knowledge Base for basic troubleshooting advice. Being prepared with this knowledge in advance can help avoid issues during testing that could hamper progress or result in having to request paper copies of exams.
How to Install the Lockdown Browser
Some instructors use Respondus Lockdown Browser software to prevent students from accessing other websites or applications while taking an online quiz or exam. This tool is exclusively available through Blackboard and can be installed once on both Windows and Macintosh computers. When required by instructors, instructors will make a link available when you access a quiz using Respondus Lockdown Browser; simply install and use!
Respondus Lockdown Browser exams and quizzes make it impossible to exit until all answers have been submitted, making the browser difficult to exit during testing sessions or quizzes. To use it effectively, other programs running on your computer (including instant messaging and screen capture apps ) must be closed (including instant messaging clients or screen capture software ). You may also click a “Kill Programs” button so the Respondus Lockdown Browser automatically closes any other programs).
Before commencing a quiz or exam, it is wise to clear any cookies on your computer which could compromise the operation of Respondus Lockdown Browser. This can be accomplished using its built-in utility.
Install the Respondus Lockdown Browser by following the directions on your quiz Summary page (either Canvas “Take a Quiz” link or Blackboard Learn’s Classic Quizzes, respectively), this will download a zip archive containing either an.exe (Windows) or pkg file (Mac), with instructions to complete installation of software and make available desktop icon for use; when clicking, Respondus LockDown Browser app will launch when clicking icon or Finder->Applications-LockDown Browser app will be launched when clicking desktop icon or clicking Launch LockDown Browser button).
If your instructor has specified that a certain quiz will utilize Respondus Lockdown Browser, install it before taking it. You’ll find a link to its installer on the quiz Summary page in your course; once installed, just click on it to launch your quiz!
How to Take a Lockdown Test or Quiz
LockDown Browser stands apart from traditional browsers by restricting access to other programs and websites, restricting students’ ability to take screenshots, copy, print, navigate URLs during exams or exit until all questions have been completed and submitted. Instructors will inform their students when LockDown Browser must be used during quizzes or exams.
Before taking their test, students should download and install LockDown Browser onto their computers (please refer to Respondus Tools module of myMason for instructions) as well as ensure their browser is fully updated with a stable internet connection. It is also advised that they clear their area from books or papers before coming to the testing station as it will make for a smoother testing experience.
Some exams require the use of Monitor (webcam). If your instructor permits one student to take an exam without using Monitor, then assign them an exclusive password in your Monitor settings that only they can access. When leaving the room they should provide a reason and the instructor will be able to see this in their grade center on Blackboard.
Browser lockdown software can compromise the integrity of an online exam by taking over full control of an examinee’s device – increasing risks for hacker attacks, system breakdowns and data breaches. Problems may arise if too many students try to access at once, which results in overloaded systems. To mitigate such problems, it’s wiser to utilize a proctored lab or classroom, instead of needing browser lockdown. Additionally, instructors should include course policies on cheating and technical issues in their syllabus; you can view an example policy here. Finally, students taking tests that require Monitor should bring only their designated laptop. As it can be tricky getting it working on other devices, installing Respondus tools well before an exam or quiz provides ample time for troubleshooting and solving any potential issues that might arise.
How to Submit a Lockdown Test or Quiz
Students submitting Lockdown tests or quizzes must first log into their Canvas course, locate the test/exam they wish to submit and click on its Take Quiz button. They will be directed to download the Lockdown browser; after doing so, their assessment window should appear just like any normal web browser and they can begin taking their assessment as per usual.
Lockdown browser assessments appear as regular Ultra assessments to students, preventing access to other materials such as external sources or copy-pasting external resources while taking an examination. Calculator functionality in browser toolbar (if enabled by faculty) cannot be accessed while taking an examination; students should answer all questions and submit answers immediately as the assessment will automatically close down once all are submitted.
When closing or exiting LockDown Browser, students will encounter an error message that states: “Google Chrome OS cannot open this page”, making them ineligible to take their exam further. This feature allows students to exit when encountering problems with their computer or needing to leave for emergency reasons; it is only available during live proctored exams in classroom settings and not self-graded assessments.
Instructors can customize the LockDown Browser experience for their students by making changes to its settings, enabling certain options, such as permitting students to access specific web domains during tests, activating calculator functionality in the LockDown browser toolbar and printing directly from its toolbar – these options can be found by clicking on Respondus LockDown Browser Advanced Settings link.
Once these settings have been configured for a test or quiz, a teacher can simply click Save and Close to apply them. Instructors can also implement a setting which requires students to keep the Lockdown browser open until they have submitted their assessment, helping prevent accidental closure while reminding them to submit work prior to exiting.