Respondus Lockdown Browser For Students Download
Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitor software is used by many faculty to ensure their students take online quizzes or tests under proctored conditions. This article will explain how you can download and install this software onto your computer.
Students will need to follow this procedure prior to accessing any assessment that requires RLDB in order to prevent cheating and this needs only be done once on each device.
What is Lockdown Browser?
As online testing grows increasingly common, institutions and students alike are searching for ways to prevent cheating during exams and tests. Respondus Lockdown Browser’s proctoring feature helps curb cheating during these assessments by restricting desktop features, web searches, applications or anything else that might foster academic dishonesty; furthermore it monitors students through camera and microphone to make sure that they remain focused on completing the assessment without engaging in anything that might lead to misconduct or dishonesty.
As soon as you click a quiz in Brightspace that requires Respondus Lockdown Browser, a window will pop-up asking you to download it. Once it’s downloaded and installed on your system, it will launch automatically when clicking another quiz requiring it.
Respondus Browser and Monitor work best when connected via an ethernet network rather than wireless connectivity, as wireless connections may cause intermittent lag or timeouts that interfere with software functionality. If using Respondus with a laptop, using wired USB is highly recommended to prevent battery drain and system crashes.
From a student’s viewpoint, Lockdown Browser appears full-screen and cannot be minimized; additional apps or programs cannot be accessed, and many standard browser functions (such as right-click) are disabled (for instance right-click is no longer possible). Furthermore, unlike Zoom proctoring add-on that enables instructors to see what students are doing during assessments, this option does not record audio or video.
During an exam, instructors are readily available via video conference to assist if there are any technical difficulties, flag any activities they suspect as potentially suspicious and prompt further investigations. Once an assessment has been processed and verified by students themselves (this process may take up to an hour depending on its length), results of assessment become available on Canvas for public viewing.
Respondus browser and monitor can serve as effective aids to on-campus proctoring; however, they should not be seen as a replacement for real proctoring in at-home exams. If a faculty member wishes to utilize Lockdown Browser as part of an at-home exam schedule, contact the CAEL office so we may discuss options and accommodations for this exam option.
How to Download
Respondus Lockdown Browser download is a free tool available to students to take proctored exams on personal devices like PCs and macs; now also Chromebook (beta). Before beginning an online test with Respondus Lockdown Browser they should follow some simple instructions: ensure all programs except one which connects directly to the Internet are closed before clicking “Yes” when asked by Respondus Lockdown Browser – as well as closing any unsaved work which might still be open on their device if applicable – before starting an online exam with Respondus Lockdown Browser before beginning online tests.
During a quiz or exam, an application will take control of screen, webcam and microphone – blocking access to websites or applications such as email and instant messaging; blocking right mouse clicks and function keystrokes; inaccessible documents/notes including documents to print/copy or copy from; it also prevents students from recording their surroundings using camera devices to attempt cheating during tests.
Though academic programs like this one seem like an effective solution to cheating during tests, they are far from infallible. There are still ways for students to bypass it and use cheating tools on their device by manipulating its environment or altering privacy settings – and third-party companies often share information that they receive with this software company.
Instructors find it straightforward to require their students to use this tool during an online assessment. Canvas makes this task simple by providing a link “Use Respondus Lockdown Browser for this Quiz,” which initiates its download onto their devices. After taking their test, Respondus Lockdown Browser is removed and they return to a regular browser on their device – some learning systems such as Blackboard Learn require students first log into the course with a standard browser before clicking on any tests in the course list to launch them.
Installing Lockdown Browser
Respondus Lockdown Browser ensures students cannot access any other websites or applications during an exam, including email and instant messaging services as well as documents and notes. Furthermore, right mouse clicks are disabled as are function keys and source codes – plus this browser detects repeated head or eye movements which could indicate cheating attempts.
Respondus Lockdown Browser requires students to be logged into their Learning Management System or online course before clicking the Launch LockDown Browser link when starting an exam. This will initiate a session which automatically records them while also preventing them from leaving or exiting it during testing. In these cases, instructors or live proctors will monitor test conditions closely, keeping an eye out for any out of place behavior; should any emerge, instructors can view video footage of student actions before reviewing scores to decide on appropriate further actions if necessary.
Respondus Monitor can be integrated with online assessment systems like Blackboard, Canvas or Moodle and allows instructors to remotely monitor students during online exams by remotely identifying possible sources of cheating such as laptops, cellphones, books and nearby people – even recording physical movements and facial expressions of students being tested! In addition to flagging suspicious behavior it can also help confirm answers and check plagiarism by matching each student with a photo of who they should be testing with.
An instructor may limit student access to certain resources during an online quiz or exam, such as calculator access or question limiter functionality. This feature can also benefit those with disabilities or limited time available for taking their exam.
Vanderbilt faculty often require their students to utilize Respondus Lockdown Browser during online quizzes and exams, preventing access to other web pages and apps like calculators. Before taking an exam that requires Respondus Lockdown Browser use, students should make sure to review its Student Quick Start Guide on Brightspace in order to navigate and install it correctly.
Taking an Exam
Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitor are AI proctoring tools designed to ensure students have an even playing field when taking online assessments. Students take quizzes and tests in a new browser window that prevents accessing other programs until their test has been submitted – including screen capture, right-click menus, keyboard shortcuts and function keys being disabled; as well as full screen mode being displayed during an examination session which cannot be minimized or resized during its duration.
Students taking quizzes or assessments that require Respondus should click the Launch LockDown Browser link in their Canvas course to download and launch it, then login, find their quiz, and begin taking their exam. Instructors may include instructions or navigation notes that indicate when students must use Respondus via LockDown Browser to complete assessments.
Student will then be instructed to upload a photo, verify their identity and location, show their workspace and perform a facial detection check to make sure their face is visible. Should any issues arise with these steps, links will be provided so they may contact a live tutor or the UNT Student Support Center directly.
Respondus Lockdown Browser may become disjointed from Canvas on occasion. When this occurs, students will see an option to “Fix it” next to their exam in the course Navigation menu – this will clear cookies and cache, thereby solving any issues.
Students seeking optimal results should close any applications or utilities that use video camera/webcam input such as Dropbox, Skype, Instant Messaging clients, Facebook and any other utilities that could potentially run in the background – especially Mac users. They should also ensure their webcam is working correctly in a well-lit room, with good lighting conditions; to practice using their browser prior to their first exam using it.