By Russell Davidson, Associate Director for Digital Education, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
What is LockDown Browser?
Respondus LockDown Browser provides a more secure environment for online testing. LockDown Browser itself is a separate web browser (like Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Chrome) specifically geared toward taking online tests.
LockDown Browser may be used as part of a remote proctoring plan for online assessments, or as part of proctoring in a traditional classroom setting where students will be using lab or personal computers for testing.
What is Respondus Monitor?
While LockDown Browser prevents students from looking up answers or taking screenshots on a single computer, it does not prevent a remote student from using other nearby computers or their phones, or from collaborating with other people in the room. This is where Respondus Monitor can be useful.
Respondus Monitor is a feature of LockDown Browser that enables the webcam and microphone on students’ devices for the duration of their test attempt. It uses basic face-tracking to identify when students look down (possibly at a phone or notes) or away (to another screen or person), then flags those portions of the recording as “suspicious”.
After the student(s) have completed the assessment, faculty then return to the LockDown Browser Dashboard in their course site to review the flagged portions of student test recordings and determine whether the suspicious activity appears to be cheating.
Live and Asynchronous Proctoring
LockDown Browser, often with Monitor, is most often used for asynchronous testing – set up a window of availability for your online test, and LockDown Browser with Monitor records the students testing when they take it. Faculty can then return to the LockDown Browser Dashboard after the fact to see if Monitor has flagged any suspicious activity and review those parts of the students’ test-taking.
Faculty who are interested in having remote students take a test at the same time can instead take advantage of LockDown Browser’s Live Proctoring. Live Proctoring lets instructors use LockDown Browser alongside a tool like Teams, Collaborate, or Zoom to view student webcam videos in real-time.
How Much Does It Cost?
The University maintains a site license for LockDown Browser (and Monitor), its use does not incur any additional cost to faculty or students.
Giving a Test with LockDown Browser
Because LockDown Browser is an add-on to Blackboard tests, you will need to start with an assessment created in Blackboard. LockDown Browser is limited to tests in classic-style courses, but can also be applied to assignments in ultra-style courses. The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning offers a Word-to-Test conversion service for folks interested in creating Blackboard assessment questions more swiftly.
Next, you’ll set all the assessment parameters – time limit, availability dates and exceptions, question-at-a-time, feedback etc. – as you would were you offering the test without LockDown Browser.
Once the test is ready for release, you will navigate to the LockDown Browser dashboard in your course site, and enable LockDown Browser for your assessment. Our Give a Test With LockDown Browser is a solid single-page reference for applying LockDown Browser (and Monitor) to assessments in both classic- and ultra-style course sites.
Taking a Test with LockDown Browser
Students need to download and install the University of Detroit Mercy version of LockDown Browser before taking their test. You should provide students with a link to our Download and Install page well in advance of their first test –
Download & Install LockDown Browser
It is important to note that the University of Detroit Mercy’s LockDown Browser is unique to our institution. As a result, a student MUST download the Detroit Mercy version of LockDown Browser (searching for “LockDown Browser” and downloading from the first result will not work).
LockDown Browser is compatible with PCs, Macs, and Chromebooks (where it is available as an extension). The download link on the page above will automatically direct a student to the version of LockDown Browser that is appropriate to their computer.
Require a Practice Test
Students should be given a practice test that employs all the remote proctoring (and test options) you plan to use for actual testing.
If you plan to give students a question-at-a-time test with a time limit that requires LockDown Browser and Monitor, provide a 5-question practice test that has a short time limit and that requires LockDown Browser and Monitor. Make this test available no less than a week in advance of your first remote proctored test, so students will have a chance to get comfortable with the testing experience and resolve any technical issues well in advance and can focus entirely on testing when the time comes.
Avoid (and Fix) Issues With LockDown Browser
In classic (non “ultra”) courses, LockDown Browser relies on the test title and password fields to function. As a result, you should not edit the title of your test after turning on LockDown Browser. Nor should you edit (or disclose to students) the password that the LockDown browser puts onto your assessments.
If you do either of these things, LockDown Browser will no longer work for the assessment. To fix these issues, go to the LockDown Browser Dashboard (where you enable LockDown Browser), and click the FIX IT button.
Questions?
Contact the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (ask-CETL@udmercy.edu; 313-578-0580) to find out more!
You may also want to consider enrolling in a comprehensive LockDown Browser and Monitor training webinar, presented by Respondus (the company that makes LockDown Browser and Monitor) —
If none of these times work for you, you can check the Respondus Webinars page in the future for future sessions.