Overview
The Respondus LockDown Browser (LDB) is a custom browser that instructors can use to lock down their testing environment in Schoology. The app enables instructors to require that students use the LDB when taking tests and quizzes in a Schoology course.
The Respondus LockDown Browser opens the test in full-screen mode and prevents students from navigating away from the assessment or accessing other applications, such as the Internet or their notes, while the test is in progress. The browser also prevents copy and paste, right-clicking, screen capture, messaging, or printing.
Requiring the LockDown Browser on tests/quizzes does not affect any of the functionality that is available to instructors on Schoology - all Schoology test/quiz settings remain available, and the workflow for grading student submissions remains the same whether or not the LDB is required.
If your school or organization currently has a license for the Respondus LockDown Browser, your System Admin can install the Respondus app to your Schoology Enterprise account.
If your school or organization currently has a license for the Respondus LockDown Browser and/or monitor, visit the Respondus Help Center to check out their Quick Start Guide for Instructors and Students.
Using the Respondus LockDown Browser in Your Schoology Course
Instructors can require the LockDown Browser for a Test/Quiz, Course Assessment, or Managed Assessment (AMP).
How to Create an Exam that Requires Respondus LockDown Browser
To create a Test/Quiz or Assessment that requires LDB, first create the Test/Quiz or Assessment by using the Add Materials drop-down menu within your Course.
Next, require the Respondus LockDown Browser for the Test/Quiz or Assessment from the LockDown Browser Dashboard:
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Click the Respondus app on the left side of your Schoology course to open your Respondus LockDown Browser Dashboard.
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Click the drop-down menu to the left of the item title and select Settings.
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Select Require Respondus LockDown Browser for this exam.
LockDown Browser Settings
Click + Advanced Settings to view and configure additional settings for the LockDown Browser for the Test/Quiz or Assessment:
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Lock students into browser until exam is completed: Select this option to prevent students from exiting LockDown Browser before an exam is submitted for grading. Optionally, a password can be entered to enable a proctor to close the browser during an exam. When this option is not selected, a student is able to exit the browser if their Internet connection fails or if there is an emergency. They will be warned twice before being able to close the browser. The student will also be prompted to enter a reason for exiting the exam early. The student response will be available to the instructor from the Respondus LockDown Browser Dashboard.
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Allow students to take this exam with an iPad (using the LockDown Browser app from iTunes): In order to successfully utilize this option, the following requirements must be met:Student devices use iOS 10 or aboveStudent devices have the the latest version of the Schoology iOS appStudent devices have the latest version of the Respondus LockDown Browser app
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Allow specific students to access this exam with screen readers (e.g. JAWS, Window-Eyes): Select this option and enter the names of the students permitted to use screen reader software to take their Schoology tests in the Respondus LockDown Browser.
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Enable Calculator on the toolbar: Select this to enable students to access a standard or scientific calculator from the top toolbar of the LockDown Browser while taking the test.
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Enable Printing from the toolbar: Select this to enable the Print option from LDB toolbar when a student opens the test.
Monitor Webcam Settings
If your school has a Respondus Monitor license and additionally would like to enable and configure the Monitor feature for this Test/Quiz or Assessment, select Require Respondus Monitor for this exam.
If your school does not have a Monitor license, your instructors will not be able to see and enable the Monitor options in the LockDown Browser Dashboard. Speak to your Respondus representative about your school’s options for using Monitor.
Drag and drop these items to reorder the sequence in which they occur before the webcam session begins. Click Edit Text to customize the instructional text that accompanies certain steps in the startup sequence.
Alternatively, select the third option under Monitor WebCam Settings: Either Respondus Monitor or a proctored lab can be used to take this exam. By selecting this optional setting below and entering an exam password, the instructor has the ability to let students take the test using only LDB by entering a password, and then the students with the password won’t be recorded with a webcam. This setting is normally used to give students the option of taking the test at home with a webcam or coming into a proctored lab without webcam.
This optional password feature can also be used in an emergency to allow students in a panic who can’t get their webcam working to bypass using the webcam and just take their exam with the LockDown Browser.
How to Enable Submissions
Once you have selected the desired Respondus settings for the exam, click Save and Close.
After you've done so, you can return to your Course Materials page and make the Test/Quiz or Assessment available to your students by enabling submissions.
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Assessments: Submission settings are configured in Edit from the gear icon next to the item name from the Materials page view, or from Edit from Actions within the specific Assessment view.
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Test/Quiz: Submission settings are configured from Settings within the specific Text/Quiz view.
Taking A Schoology Test Using the LockDown Browser
Overview of the Student Experience
Students taking a Schoology test using the Respondus LockDown Browser log into Schoology and access the test/quiz or assessment from their Schoology Course Materials page. Once a student opens the test in Schoology, they are prompted to launch the Respondus LockDown browser to take and submit the test.
LockDown Browser is similar to a standard web browser, but with several features disabled or removed - such as browser menus and the URL field. Only the back, forward, stop, and refresh buttons are retained. The content and design of the test/quiz or assessment will look very similar to the way in looks if the students were to take it in Schoology - only the tools and capabilities available to them in standard browsers are significantly limited.
Beginning the Exam
Once the instructor has required the Respondus LockDown browser for a test/quiz or assessment in Schoology, students will need to download the browser to their device before they are able to begin the test.
Test/Quizzes that require the LockDown browser include a message that reads, “This assessment requires LockDown Browser and will launch in a new window."
Students can click the link on the exam’s Instructions page that says Download LockDown Browser to download the browser if they have not done so. This link uses the download URL the System Admin configured in the Custom Parameters of the app at the system-level.
Assessments that require the LockDown browser include a message that reads, “This assessment requires LockDown Browser and will launch in a new window."
Once the student has downloaded and installed the LockDown Browser, he or she can click Start New Attempt. This launches the test in a new window using the LockDown Browser.
