Respondus LockDown Browser
Increase the security and integrity of Canvas Quizzes by preventing students from accessing external resources while taking quizzes within this custom browser.
Respondus LockDown Browser is a custom browser that can restrict students from navigating out of their Canvas quiz, preventing them from accessing additional applications and external resources. It can be enabled in any Canvas course and is compatible with any quiz type and language.
Features
Respondus LockDown Browser offers custom browser features that prevent students from accessing external resources while taking a Canvas quiz.
- 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.
Arts ISIT Resources
Prepare your exam and students in advance when using Respondus LockDown Browser to ensure a hassle-free experience.
- Have students download LockDown Browser ahead of time to avoid installation and set up issues during class/exam time.
- 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. Students can attempt practice tests by enrolling in the Arts ISIT Exam Practice Run Course.
- Book extra laptops if there is a concern that students will have trouble downloading LockDown Browser. Instructors can borrow laptops by visiting Arts ISIT Helpdesk (Buchanan C113) and signing out a few laptops under the instructor’s name or by completing our technology borrowing form.
- Have a few paper copies of the exam handy in case of technical issues that are unsolvable.
To use LockDown Browser in your course, see the following steps to enable the application:
- Log into canvas.ubc.ca and select a course from your dashboard
- Go to Settings
- Click the Navigation tab at the top
- Locate LockDown Browser from the bottom group of items
- Click the triple dots icon > Enable
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Save
Current Known Issues
Lockdown Browser issues with iPad
Make sure you are aware of the following to reduce iPad issues during exams:
- The option to “Allow students to take exams using Lockdown Browser will need to be enabled under settings”
- Classic Quizzes: Students can access Classic Quizzes though the Lockdown Browser app installed on their iPad
- New Quizzes: Students can access New Quizzes through the Lockdown Browser on their preferred browser (such as Google Chrome, Safari, etc.)
Lockdown Browser issues with Macs
If you receive an error notification:
- Lockdown Browser updates often conflict with the updated OS of Macs, to overcome this issue, please ensure that Mac users have the latest version of Lockdown Browser installed
- If you are unable to open Lockdown Browser to start the exam, please uninstall and reinstall Lockdown Browser
Lockdown Browser issues with Chromebooks
Please note that Lockdown Browser is not compatible with Chromebooks.
Lockdown Browser issues with virtual machine software
Please note that Lockdown Browser is not compatible with virtual machine software.
Lockdown Browser Quiz Setting Issues
If a quiz in a course has an emoji in the title, it will cause an error on accessing Lockdown Browser settings. We recommend not having any emojis in the title of any quiz in a course if you plan on using Lockdown Browser for quizzes.
Troubleshooting internet issues
Since Lockdown Browser may stop working and logging student progress if the internet goes down, it is important to resolve internet issues. Please refer to the following guide on how to resolve this sort of issue:
Additional Resources
Consultations
If you would like further support on Respondus Lockdown Browser, please connect with us to learn more about the tool and its capabilities.
