Respondus Lockdown Browser Student Download
Your instructor may require Respondus Lockdown BrowserTM for certain quizzes in Cougar Courses (Canvas). This software prevents students from printing, copying, accessing other websites or accessing applications while taking an exam.
Before downloading, please review the Lockdown Browser Student Quick Start Guide and system requirements for either PCs or Macs as well as Respondus Privacy Policy.
What is Respondus Lockdown Browser?
Respondus Lockdown Browser is software designed to prevent cheating during online exams by locking down desktop features, web search results and apps – everything which could facilitate academic dishonesty during an exam – on test taker computers. Furthermore, Respondus records screen images and microphone audio to ensure everything is being utilized as intended during examinations.
Students are required to download and install the Respondus Lockdown Browser before taking quizzes that require it, with links provided when accessing such quizzes. It can be installed on Windows and Mac computers but unfortunately is not compatible with iPads or Chromebooks.
After downloading, the browser automatically launches when students take exams that require it. It will notify students if there are programs running that need to be closed down (e.g. screen capture program or instant messaging) and prompt them to select either “Yes” or “No” to close them before asking if they want to restart their browser before taking an exam that requires it.
Additionally to limiting other programs on the computer, the software enables instructors to restrict which external sites may be used during an examination, as well as view an active session list and any results of an exam session in Monitor to detect cheating by students.
Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitor offer faculty more information for using them by way of the Instructor Quick Start Guide for Utilizing Respondus. In addition, faculty may join one of Respondus’ numerous demo webinars offered throughout the year.
Under Canvas’ default setting, every student taking an online assessment will be asked to install Respondus Lockdown Browser before beginning their test. A link for Respondus Lockdown Browser is included within Student-facing materials above or if their professor opts-in they will also appear within quiz instructions.
How do I download Respondus Lockdown Browser?
Your instructor may require Respondus Lockdown Browser when taking online quizzes and exams in Cougar Courses (Canvas). When an exam opens, a new browser opens that locks down your computer in order to prevent printing, copying, going to another website or accessing other applications while the quiz is taking place – only then can you switch back into your regular web browser until grading begins and is submitted for grading.
To download Respondus Lockdown Browser, your instructor will provide a link on your course page for any test requiring it. This will take you to a webpage displaying the Respondus logo and offering a button called “Download Lockdown Browser”. Simply click this button to begin downloading an installer specific to your operating system and follow its instructions during installation – these may vary depending on which operating system version of Lockdown Browser is being downloaded onto.
Once Respondus Lockdown Browser has been installed, its installer will appear in your Applications folder or by searching “Respondus” in your search bar. To install Respondus successfully on an individual machine you need administrative rights as well as be signed in to Canvas account with administrative privileges on that particular machine where Respondus will be installed. Prior to installing Respondus Lockdown Browser it is also wise to close all other applications or programs running on that particular computer as well as disable any antivirus/security software preventing installation.
Before taking a test using Respondus Monitor, make sure that both your computer and webcam have clear views of you and any materials present. Your instructor will activate the camera and guide you through a series of screens asking you to verify your identity; ensure you have reliable internet connectivity and follow their instructions precisely for maximum success!
If you encounter issues with the software before or during an exam, contact your instructor as soon as possible to try to address them before starting the quiz timer. While troubleshooting could delay its start date by some minutes or hours, quiz timers keep running while troubleshooting is undertaken.
What are the benefits of using Respondus Lockdown Browser?
Respondus Lockdown Browser Student Download can help provide faculty and administration with peace of mind that students aren’t cheating on exams. While it cannot prevent all forms of academic dishonesty, Respondus Lockdown Browser Student Download makes it more difficult to search online or share answers among other students. It blocks unauthorized applications (web browsers, email programs and instant messaging programs), right-mouse functions (copy/paste and print), screen capture software as well as making accessing other apps or content on the computer more challenging.
Respondus Monitor and Instructor Live Proctoring allow instructors to quickly address any suspicious activity during an examination or quiz. Respondus Monitor records every aspect of an assessment session for viewing at any time by an instructor while Respondus Instructor Live Proctoring allows teachers to connect directly with a student during online tests.
Students are advised to install Respondus tools prior to any quiz or exam that requires them. This will give them an opportunity to test their hardware and internet connectivity before the real quiz or exam takes place; it will also familiarize them with the process and minimize any anxiety they might feel about using these tools.
If a quiz or exam will require Respondus, its instructor should indicate this in Brightspace using a “Requires Respondus Lockdown Browser” message in its quiz link. In order to access its download link, students should click on this message which will lead them directly to a Summary page with details on why Respondus is required and provide an easy download link for this browser.
Students should follow the instructions for downloading their browser, which will vary depending on their operating system. Once they have done so, students should follow any other directions related to preparing for their quiz or exam – such as making sure their webcam and microphone are enabled, Adobe Flash Player downloaded, etc. It is also wise for them to review both Respondus Lockdown Browser/Respondus Monitor quick start guides before taking an exam or quiz using these tools.
What are the disadvantages of using Respondus Lockdown Browser?
Respondus Lockdown Browser not only restricts what students can do on their computers during exams, but it also records them using its built-in webcam and microphone, creating an extremely unnerving test-taking experience for many students – some have even found ways to cheat with this tool! Yet many instructors still require Respondus Lockdown Browser software as an exam requirement.
To use the lockdown feature, students must follow a link provided in their course syllabus or Brightspace to download and install Respondus Lockdown Browser. Once installed, this browser prevents students from printing, copying, browsing other websites, or opening applications like Word during quizzes or exams. Once an instructor has verified completion of said quiz or exam and that your computer has returned to normal settings, students are permitted to exit Respondus Lockdown Browser.
Teachers using Respondus Monitor, an add-on to lockdown browser, may ask students to verify their identity and surroundings by providing clear photos, showing ID cards and moving around the room to look for distracting elements that might affect performance during tests. Furthermore, Respondus’ webcam and microphone capabilities allow instructors to record students while taking exams for later review by instructors.
The downsides to using this software include being required to provide photo identification as well as restrictions on what can be done during exams on student computers. For some students this can create anxiety around tests – something already prevalent among some learners. Furthermore, its browser can restrict taking breaks or moving around easily enough that keeping focus can become challenging.
One disadvantage is the necessity for students to access Blackboard courses to find quizzes or exams they need to take, which may prove troublesome for those without regular login credentials or those unfamiliar with Blackboard. Furthermore, using lockdown browsers may exacerbate internet speeds or data allowance limitations and cause slowness or lag issues for users utilizing limited connections – both could pose obstacles when trying to take an exam or take quizzes and exams on Blackboard courses.