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Respondus LockDown Browser

Parent Page(s): Online Exam Security

 

 

Respondus LockDown Browser increases the security and integrity of Canvas Quizzes by preventing students from accessing external resources during the quiz.

Respondus LockDown Browser is an easy to use custom browser that increases the security and integrity of Canvas Quizzes by restricting students from navigating out of Canvas or accessing any other applications taking the quiz. It can be enabled in any Canvas course and works for any kind of Quiz, including languages other than English.

Comparison Chart Student Guide

 Key Features

  • Prevents access to other websites or applications including messaging and screen-sharing.
  • Functions such as printing, screenshotting, keyboard shortcuts and copy pasting are all disabled.
  • Quizzes requiring LockDown Browser cannot be accessed with any other browser, such as Firefox, Chrome or Safari.
  • Quiz is automatically displayed in full-screen and the screen cannot be minimized until it has been submitted.
  • Whitelist features deny students access to any external tool/resource except for those included in the preset whitelist. In this way, instructors can enable external tools they have allowed students to access, such as calculators or online dictionaries.
  • An optional setting to close the browser and exit the exam early can be enabled so that instructors can manually allow a student to leave the quiz.

Advantages

  • Available across standard operating systems such as Windows, Mac, and iOS.
  • Makes Canvas Quizzes more secure because students are restricted access from unauthorized external resources.
  • User friendly, simplified interface makes Respondus easy for instructors to set up and students to navigate.
  • Students cannot exit their Quiz without submitting it for grading, unless an instructor manually overrides this.
  • Ensures that Quizzes taken in language courses are not translated into English or other languages.
  • Integrated seamlessly into Canvas, allowing students to access LockDown Browser from within the Canvas course.
  • Keyboard shortcuts for language courses can be enabled. This must be done before the students begin taking the Quiz.

Limitations

  • Must be downloaded by students ahead of time, before taking the Canvas Quiz.
  • Lacks full online proctoring capabilities with live and automated authentication.
  • Student privacy can be affected if the tool is set to allow students to “exit a quiz early.” To ensure FIPPA compliancy, make sure to check off “Lock students into the browser until exam is completed” in Advanced Settings.

Tips

  • Book extra laptops if there is a concern that students will have trouble downloading LockDown Browser.
  • Have students download LockDown Browser ahead of time to avoid installation and set up issues during class/exam time.
  • Encourage students to attempt the practice tests by enrolling in the Arts ISIT: Exam Practice Run course.
  • Provide your class with the opportunity to practice using LockDown Browser beforehand and familiarize themselves with the platform by setting up a practice exam or low-stakes quiz before the real one.
  • Connect with your students in Zoom during a LockDown Browser quiz. For instructions, visit our Monitor Exam with Zoom and Lockdown Browser page.
  • If you decide to use LockDown Browser for in-person assessments, refer to our Live Exam Support FAQ for Invigilators page for a smooth exam support experience.
  • LockDown Browser is available in all Canvas courses. To enable it, contact arts.helpdesk@ubc.ca.
Note: Arts ISIT strives to present the most updated and accurate information for UBC members. Please note that vendors update their products regularly and this may cause users to have experiences that are different from what is presented here. In such a scenario, users may reach out to Arts ISIT at arts.helpdesk@ubc.ca. We will test any changes/updates made to the applications, and update our documentation.

Getting Started

To use LockDown Browser in your course, see the following steps to enable the application:

  1. Log into canvas.ubc.ca and select a course from your dashboard
  2. Go to Settings
  3. Click the Navigation tab at the top
  4. Locate LockDown Browser from the bottom group of items
  5. Click the triple dots icon > Enable
  6. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Save

FAQs

  1. Click LockDown Browser in the Course Navigation.
  2. Click to Authorize Respondus and continue to LockDown Browser.
  3. Find the quiz you would like to require LockDown Browser for, click the ‘down’ arrow to the left of it, and select Settings.
  4. Select Require Respondus LockDown Browser for this exam.
  5. To comply with FIPPA requirements, click Advanced Settings and check the box for “Lock students into the browser until exam is completed”. This setting keeps student data protected throughout the exam.
  6. Check Enable Calculator if it is applicable to your exam. This will allow students to access a calculator within the LDB quiz.
  7. Click Save + Close.

Note : Once your exam has been enabled on LockDown Browser, the title of the exam will automatically be changed to include a suffix “Requires Respondus LockDown Browser”. (Example : Final Exam ENGL 101 – Requires Respondus LockDown Browser)

Once LockDown Browser has been enabled on your quiz, do not change the title of the exam or remove the suffix “Requires Respondus LockDown Browser” from your exam title. Changing the quiz name can cause errors in the set up and students may have technical issues while writing the exam.

If you come across the message “Error” across your quiz name in the LockDown Browser dashboard, use the “Fix It” button to fix the error message. The error message usually occurs if a quiz has been copied over from another course or if the title of the quiz has been changed after enabling Lockdown Browser.

On the LDB dashboard page, a circular orange icon with a number signifies the number of students who exited LockDown Browser before submitting the quiz. Students exit LockDown Browser if they have technical issues (network issue, screen freezing) during the exam. Most students are able to log in again and submit the quiz successfully.

Media recording in LockDown Browser is not recommended, and files cannot be uploaded from students’ devices in LockDown Browser. If the assessment includes recording media or uploading files, we suggest creating two separate assessments.

The instructor should first set up a quiz using the LockDown Browser for questions that do not require an audio/video recording or file submission. Then, they can create another quiz specifically for an audio/video recording or file submission without using the LockDown Browser.

For an audio/video or file submission, the question type should be either “File upload” or “Essay”. The file upload question type is suitable if the students are using external recorders to record and upload the file to Canvas. The essay question type allows students to record the media directly on Canvas.

Why don’t we recommend Kaltura in LockDown Browser?
The only way to access a recorder in LockDown Browser is through Kaltura recording in Rich Content Editor. However, having access to Kaltura means that students will also have access to their “My Media” and their previous recordings. For academic integrity and exam security, we do not recommend using Kaltura in the LockDown Browser.

If you need support or consultation on how to set up the quiz for LockDown Browser, please email arts.helpdesk@ubc.ca.

Discuss ideas and options with the Arts Learning Centre Drop by the Arts Learning Centre for a chat in Buchanan C105A
Email Arts ISIT Helpdesk Contact ArtsISIT arts.helpdesk@ubc.ca for assistance or a demonstration!
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