Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor Tips for Instructors and Students

Students and instructors are encouraged to establish communication protocols in the event that technical issues arise so any problems can be managed effectively. Respondus works well for most students but, as with any new tool, issues can arise. Thorough testing beforehand and clear plans for contingency steps during the assessment will help students and instructors feel ready to effectively use Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor.

The following tips are provided to help instructors and students successfully utilize Respondus tools:

TIPS FOR INSTRUCTORS

Review the Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor information in our Canvas Learning Center to learn how to download Respondus to your Canvas course and provide information for your students to get started with LockDown Browser and Monitor.

Instructors who will be using LockDown Browser and/or Monitor are encouraged to download the program on their own computer and test it to be familiar with the student experience.

Be sure to set up a practice assessment in your course for students to take before a graded assessment. The practice quiz should:

• Have the same settings that you plan to use for all assessments in the course
• Allow unlimited attempts so students can take it multiple times
• Have a deadline at least 24 hours before the real assessment – you may wish to remove the deadline after it passes to allow students to take it again later in the quarter if needed

When turning on LockDown Browser (and Monitor, if applicable) in Canvas for an assessment, review the advanced settings. For example, you may wish to enable the ability to take an assessment on an iPad or Chromebook or disable the need to show an ID card during the startup sequence.

The Teaching & Learning Technologies team is happy to consult on questions about the implementation and utilization of LockDown Browser and Monitor. Request a consultation with a TLT team member.

TIPS FOR STUDENTS

Respondus offers support and connection testing options before a student begins an exam. They also recommend these troubleshooting tips if students are experiencing technical issues:

Students should review the Respondus Student Support FAQ to see if there are solutions to the technical issue.

Respondus offers live chat support from within the browser if students have trouble getting the assessment started.

Additional tips for students:

• Update the computer’s operating system if not recently updated.
• Check for an updated version of LockDown Browser (when LockDown Browser is launched, students should click on the “About LockDown Browser” menu item in the top toolbar – this is an “i” icon on PCs or a globe icon on Macs).
• If the instructor has made a practice quiz available, students should take it under the same conditions as the real quiz/exam (same room, same lighting, etc.). Students may need to add more lighting to their workspace when using Respondus Monitor to ensure the program can recognize their face during the assessment.
• Use a wired/ethernet connection to the internet, if possible. If that is not possible, students should position themselves as close to the wifi router as possible.
• Restart the computer within 12 hours before the assessment.
• Students should close as many programs on the computer as possible before launching LockDown Browser – the program will try to close any programs not allowed to run while in LockDown Browser, but it may struggle if it has to close several programs. Students can improve their chances of successfully launching LockDown Browser by closing other web browsers, any messaging or communication programs (Zoom, Teams, etc.), and any search functions native to the computer (Siri, Cortana, etc.).
• If the size of text and images in LockDown Browser is too small, students can change their computer’s settings:
  • On Windows: Press Ctrl and + to zoom in (Ctrl and – zooms out) -OR- click the small “i” at the top left of the LockDown Browser toolbar. Adjust the Zoom Level in the options window that appears. Make sure to click “Apply” and then “OK”.
  • On Mac: Press Command and + to zoom in (Command and – zooms out). Some older keyboards have an icon (⌘) instead of the word Command.

If students continue to have issues with Respondus LockDown Browser and/or Monitor after following the above recommendations, they will need to submit a support ticket to Respondus for further assistance.