Respondus Canvas
Respondus Canvas allows students to take graded assessments within a proctored testing environment. It features a custom browser which blocks any attempts by students at printing, copying, visiting other websites or accessing outside applications during an assessment test.
This software also contains a monitoring feature which captures students as they take exams, so faculty can review this data to identify instances of cheating.
LockDown Browser
Respondus provides two products to help instructors enhance the integrity of online assessments: Lockdown Browser and Monitor. Lockdown Browser enables students to physically “lock down” their testing environment within a LMS by restricting them from moving away or opening other applications; Monitor adds another level of security by recording student assessments via their web camera.
Students taking quizzes or exams that require LockDown Browser must download it prior to beginning. Once downloaded, this browser encrypts their desktop so they cannot print, copy, access other websites or close a quiz until submitted for grading – Windows and Mac OS X are supported versions are available as well as Monitor to record them during an online quiz or exam in Canvas.
Instructors who assign assessments that require Respondus LockDown Browser will see students receive an alert requesting to download it when taking assessments. When students click the link provided in that message box, a window opens saying, “Require Respondus LockDown Browser for This Exam.
Students wishing to use their browser must click “Yes,” then choose a download option based on their operating system (Windows or Mac). When the download completes, students will need to install an application before taking a quiz; once installed, an installer may warn if other programs are open that may interfere with taking this exam and ask that these be closed before continuing with installation of application.
Once students open their browsers, they are prompted to sign in with their Canvas account. Upon signing in, they are taken directly to the quiz they need to take. If the quiz requires entering password information in a prompt window, then their browser will launch automatically and remain open until their quiz has been completed.
Before attempting a quiz or exam that requires Respondus Monitor use, students should run a practice test first and, if unable to pass it successfully, contact their instructor and seek assistance from them.
Monitoring Tool
Respondus Monitor adds extra security for Canvas quizzes and exams, limiting students to only taking exams that have been approved with this tool enabled – thus preventing them from accessing other web pages or applications on their computer while taking an exam in Canvas. In addition, Respondus activates students’ Webcams for additional security – this works both with Classic and New Quizzes within Canvas.
The Monitor tool builds upon LockDown Browser to detect various behaviors during a quiz or exam and report these to instructors for review. It is often used in proctored online tests; faculty using it should be mindful of potential behavioral issues and establish appropriate communication channels with their students to make sure they know what’s expected during an online assessment.
Monitor is designed to detect when students use third-party screen capture software like Kaltura Capture during an online assessment and stop it from running. Furthermore, it can identify when right mouse button access has been used during testing for other functions, like copy/paste or printing; all this helps protect the integrity of assessments conducted at SDSU as well as our academic reputations.
Monitor also allows instructors to detect and alert if there is a problem with a student’s computer or Internet connection during an online assessment, potentially signalling cheating or providing an unsatisfactory test-taking experience. This feature can be toggled on or off at any point during an assessment by instructors themselves.
The Monitor tool equips instructors with advanced features designed to prevent cheating, such as creating test pools, randomizing questions and answers, preventing backtracking of questions, automatically scoring forced-choice items and restricting incorrect answers; disabling feedback on questions answered incorrectly, setting time limits for exams as well as restricting number of incorrect attempts per question answered incorrectly and setting an exam duration limit. Faculty can create multiple-choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blanks essay matching and ordering questions using this tool.
Import Quizzes
Respondus allows instructors to easily create quiz questions in Word and then import them as either Quizzes or Question Banks into Canvas for use as either quizzes or question banks. Respondus’ Import Quizzes feature is more efficient and time saving.
Respondus provides an easy way for instructors to import quizzes/tests/exams directly into a course from which you would like to import one, along with a list of graded quizzes from that course. Once selected, Respondus prompts users to authorize its connection with UAB Canvas server; for assistance please consult Respondus Connectivity Guide.
After you log into UAB Canvas server, you will be asked to select a course and date for a quiz/test/exam. If taking proctored exams at CETS computer labs, Respondus Lockdown Browser must be installed onto each laptop in order to prevent printing, going to other websites, accessing applications or closing quiz until submitted for grading – this works with both Classic and New Quizzes! It is also advised that students take paper backup exams just in case their computers become unusable during an exam session.
Once your quiz has been successfully published, Respondus will notify you with an “Publish Completed Successfully (T).” You may then wish to return to the Publish screen and customize its name, in order to prevent confusion with other files in its location.
Once you have decided on an option for the file name, you will be asked to choose its format. There are pre-built formats or you may customize your filename; once created, it can be seen using the Preview button (F). If all errors or warnings have been resolved successfully, download as a zipped QTI file.
Export Quizzes
Respondus Canvas allows instructors to build assessments offline using Respondus Quiz software, then import them into Canvas courses as quizzes or exams. Quizzes created using Respondus may also be exported directly into another assessment-building program for use; the export process is easy and does not require technical skills. When students take an assessment they must be signed in using either their Canvas account or MyFSU account if applicable – and should their instructor require a test password, students must enter it prior to beginning any quizzes or exams.
To export an assessment from Canvas to Respondus, navigate to the course where it resides and click on its Settings gear. From there, either click Edit icon for existing assessments or Create button if creating new assessments; save As File option should then be chosen with IMS QTI as one of its file types – Zipped IMS QTI Package should then appear and save button can then be clicked for saving the assessment in Respondus.
When students click a Canvas Quiz link, the LockDown Browser automatically launches. This browser prevents students from printing, copying, going to other websites or using outside tools during a quiz; furthermore it locks down testing environments and prevents students from closing browser until their assessment has been submitted for grading – Windows and Mac compatibility are included with its functionality.
Once a student has successfully completed an assessment, they can close out of LockDown Browser and return to Canvas course. When clicking back onto quiz link again they can start answering questions if instructor has added question type restrictions in Edit tab of quiz.
After an assessment is imported into Canvas, it appears as an unpublished quiz in the Quizzes list. When ready, editors can make edits and publish it into a course for students to take. If an assessment contains multiple question banks, instructors can use Canvas’ Import Questions feature to import them all at once into either a new Quiz or edit existing Quiz.