Respondus LockDown Browser + Monitor Instructor Guide

Using Respondus LockDown Browser (without webcam)

When

• Assessments that are proctored in person, such as in a lab or classroom.

Why

• Lock the user into a Brightspace quiz window.
• Prevent access to other parts of the device and web while completing an assessment. 
• Use without the webcam proctoring feature does not incur additional costs per course.

Consider

• Does not increase academic integrity for remote assessments, as other devices can be used for aid, unlike a proctored lab/classroom.
• If the assessment does not use TMU Lab devices, students must install the software on their own devices. If any student is uncomfortable or unable to download and install Respondus LDB, instructors must provide an alternative way of taking the test. For example, by allowing the student to complete it in a TMU lab or using a loaner laptop.

Using Respondus Monitor (with webcam)

When

• Conduct automated virtual proctoring to facilitate remote assessments.
• Additional feature used with Respondus LDB, which is already limiting access to other parts of the device and web.
• Used in private spaces; is not appropriate for use in shared spaces, such as classrooms or labs.

Why

• Automated proctoring uses AI to flag unexpected behaviour in the webcam recording of a student while they complete their assessment.
• Acts as a deterrent to use of external tools/devices and resources.
• Recordings can be used as evidence in Policy 60: Academic Integrity matters.

Consider

• Before requesting, review the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching’s virtual proctoring guidance for important considerations and requirements for instructors around Virtual Proctoring at TMU. 
• After the assessment, instructors must review recordings with high levels of flags – failing to do so may be considered misuse of the tool and impact your ability to use it in the future. 
• Each course that uses Respondus Monitor incurs a per-student cost to the university; if opting to use Monitor, please ensure that it is used appropriately. If you are unsure of appropriate use-cases, review the comparison table below, and contact courses@torontomu.ca with any questions. 
• Students must install the software on their own devices. If any student is uncomfortable or unable to download and install Respondus LDB, instructors must provide an alternative way of taking the test.by allowing the student to complete it in a proctored lab or using a loaner laptop.

Overview: LockDown Browser vs LockDown Browser + Monitor

Sample course outline content: Respondus LockDown Browser (without Monitor)

This course utilizes Respondus LockDown Browser (LDB), an external educational technology tool in addition to D2L Brightspace. This tool is used to enhance your course learning experience by limiting access to the internet and your device while completing an assessment.

• Costs: The tool does not result in additional costs to you.
• Additional requirements: If used in a TMU Lab, no additional requirements apply.
  If used on a personal device, the application must be installed with administrative access to your device. Additional technical requirements for its usage are listed at the TMU Respondus Student Guide. 
• Use on personal devices: If using Respondus LDB on your personal device, you will be installing and running the software at your own risk. While CCS believes this risk is minimal, they are unable to monitor your personal devices for malicious activity. Always use the most recent version of the tool, and review the steps to uninstall the application at the TMU Respondus Student Guide. 
• Account creation: A record of your usage is automatically created through your use of the tool through the D2L Brightspace course.
• Data privacy and usage: In most cases, no user data is collected. However, if you initiate an “early exit” your name, TMU username, and corresponding comment will be retained within Respondus’ systems. In these cases, your information will be visible to all Instructors and Academic Assistants in your D2L Brightspace course. This information will be retained within TMU’s Brightspace for two years after the end of the course, in case of potential appeals or FIPPA requests. 
• Opt-out options: This tool does not have an opt-out policy, and you may inquire with your instructor regarding alternative assessment options, if available. 

For technical support regarding Respondus LockDown Browser, please visit the Troubleshooting section of the Respondus Student Guide.

Sample course outline content: Respondus LockDown Browser with Monitor

This course utilizes Respondus LockDown Browser (LDB) and Monitor, an external educational technology tool in addition to D2L Brightspace. This tool is used to enhance your course learning experience by facilitating remote assessments by replicating a proctor's supervision. 

• Costs: The tool does not result in additional costs to you.
• Additional requirements: The application must be installed with administrative access to your device. Additional technical requirements for its usage include a compatible device, webcam, and microphone. Details are provided at the TMU Respondus Student Guide.
• Use on personal devices: If using Respondus LDB and Monitor on your personal device, you will be installing and running the software at your own risk. While CCS believes this risk is minimal, they are unable to monitor your personal devices for malicious activity. Always use the most recent version of the tool, and review the steps to uninstall the application at the TMU Respondus Student Guide.
• Account creation: A record of your usage is automatically created through your use of the tool through the D2L Brightspace course. At the start of each assessment, you will be required to agree to the TMU-specific Respondus Student Terms of Use.
• Data privacy and usage: This tool will have access to your name, TMU username, biometric data (face, voice), and may require you to record your environment, your screen during the quiz, and display your OneCard. This collected data is visible to all Instructors and Academic Assistants in your D2L Brightspace course.
  
  Recorded media (voice, video, screen recordings, and the image of your OneCard) is retained within Respondus’ systems for 12 months after the assessment, and additional personal information associated with the attempt (flags, information about your attempt, and your name/TMU username) is stored for 18 months in case of potential appeals or FIPPA requests. For additional details, please review the  (google doc) TMU Respondus Monitor Notice of Collection (external link) . 
• Opt-out options: This tool does not have an opt-out policy, and you may inquire with your instructor regarding alternative assessment options, if available. 

For technical support regarding Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor, please visit the Troubleshooting section of the Respondus Student Guide.

Settings applied to a D2L Brightspace Quiz will determine the students’ experience of the quiz in the browser, including availability and Special Access. Respondus LDB or Monitor does not prevent the use of any Brightspace Quiz settings, but a few require special attention if the system is enabled.

Quiz setting considerations 

• End Date
  • Set to after the attempt is expected to be over. This allows students to re-enter an ongoing attempt at the quiz if their device freezes and needs to be relaunched.
  • If a shorter End Date is set, there will be a window of time where timely intervention from an instructor or TA is required if a student experiences freezing and needs to re-launch the browser.

• Synchronous Quiz
  • This timing setting in the Brightspace Quiz settings is not recommended when enabling Respondus Monitor. When enabled, the student's webcam setup time is included in their quiz completion time, which varies for each student.

• Question types
  • All question types available in the Brightspace Quiz can be used for Respondus LDB-enabled quizzes
• Essay questions
  • Delivered in a Brightspace Quiz, using the Written Response question type.
  • Enable the HTML editor, to allow students to format their text
  • Set the “custom response box size” to allow a larger text-input box
  • Optional: Use a rubric to grade the question
  • Note: No originality report (like Turnitin) available with this method.

Use of Respondus LDB outside of a TMU Lab will require students to download software on their personal devices. 

Most technical issues that arise from the use of Respondus LDB and Monitor are due to device compatibility issues on personal devices. To allow students to confirm that they have a device that works with the software in advance of the assessment, provide them with an ungraded practice quiz.

Important:  

• The practice quiz must be delivered in the same D2L Brightspace course and match all settings of the real assessment.
• Make the practice quiz available for the duration of the course with unlimited attempts, to allow students to check their setup from different devices.

Special Access

The Special Access settings for your D2L Brightspace Quiz allow you to set extended quiz-timers or alternative periods of time to take the quiz. These settings automatically apply to the relevant student’s attempt at the quiz within Respondus LDB. 

If Respondus LDB is enabled for a D2L Brightspace Quiz, an additional Special Access option is provided that allows you to exempt individual students from completing the quiz within Respondus LDB. 

Learn more about applying Special Access settings to D2L Quizzes in our Create online quizzes: Availability Dates & Conditions resource.

Assistive technology guidance for Respondus

Respondus LDB meets all web content accessibility guidelines, and works with many assistive technologies including screen readers, Text-to-Speech, Voice-to-Text, and more. Details of suggested software can be found at Respondus’ Accessibility with LockDown Browser (external link)  resource. 

Impact of specific virtual proctoring features

Please review all settings within the Respondus Dashboard, taking each student’s accommodation needs into account, as certain features may be difficult or impossible to use for someone who is blind or has a physical disability. 

Required preparation

The Getting Started steps (above) must be completed prior to accessing the Respondus Dashboard, to request activation in each course.

Required preparation

The Getting Started and Course Setup steps (above) must be completed prior to enabling Respondus LockDown Browser.

To provide access to specific resources while completing the assessment, they must be shared with students as in-quiz links. Options include: websites, PDF files, or a pre-filled Excel sheet to be opened on their device (Monitor only).

For the best results:

• Do not place the link in the “Instructions” section of the quiz. Instead, place links directly in relevant questions, or in the footer of the quiz if the resource is to be used across different questions. 
• Always test all links in LockDown Browser to ensure they work properly. In your testing, if a "Link is Blocked" message appears, additional domains may need to be added.
• Never use the domain of D2L Brightspace or another test platform. Linking from the exam to other parts of your Brightspace course may result in errors, and Respondus Support will not troubleshoot related issues as it is an unsupported use of their application.

For specific details of this feature, please visit Respondus’ Accessing external web domains in LockDown Browser (external link)  resource.

Completing the quiz as with a student account before releasing it to students allows you to identify and avoid course-wide technical issues. 

Setup (with your regular TMU account)

1. Add your Demo Student account (if not already added) as an Auditing Participant to your D2L Brightspace course shell, using the Manage Shell Members tool. 
   1. The “View as Student" option will not allow you to test the quiz in Monitor. 
   2. If you do not have a Demo Student, visit our Try the course as a student resource to learn more.
2. If enabling Respondus Monitor for your quiz, identify your Demo Student username in the Respondus Dashboard, as outlined in the steps in the Use Respondus Monitor section below. Registering your Demo Account in this manner prevents your testing from utilizing a Respondus Monitor spot purchased for your students. 
3. D2L Quiz settings:
   1. Use Special Access settings on the quiz to permit your Demo Student account to complete the quiz in advance.
   2. Optional: If questions are pooled or split across many pages, temporarily adjust all pools to the maximum value and consider displaying more per page, so all questions are displayed for easy review.  

Complete the attempt (with your Demo Student account)

1. Login to my.Torontomu.ca as your Demo Student (ds_[your username] ) and the account's password.
   • If you do not know the password to the account, contact the IT Help Desk.
2. After logging in, launch D2L Brightspace and access the course. The quiz will be visible to you, and you can attempt it as a student. 
   1. Visit the Respondus Student Guide for details of using Respondus LDB and Monitor as a student.
   2. The Special Access settings previously applied should allow your Demo Student user to complete the quiz early; if you cannot see the quiz or begin it, revisit the Special Access settings from your regular account (which is an Instructor in the course).
3. Considerations in your testing: 
   1. Confirm that all questions are displayed as expected, including any images, graphs, or equations.
   2. If added, click on all external links and resources to ensure the “whitelisting” is working as intended and the pages linked are compatible with the browser. If any do not work as expected, please review our "Share resources in-browser" section (above). 
4. Once all aspects of the quiz have been reviewed, submit your attempt.

After your attempt

1. Logout of the Demo Student, then log back in with your regular TMU username and password.
2. Be sure to reset any quiz-settings that were adjusted (paging, pools) to your intended settings.

Required preparation

The Enable LockDown Browser on a quiz steps (above) must be completed prior to enabling Respondus Monitor.

Remote automated virtual proctoring systems, like Respondus Monitor, require the collection of student Personal Information (PI) to function. Use of this tool must align with provincial and institutional privacy standards for collection and use of the student PI. 

Within these standards, Respondus Monitor is only permitted to collect the personal data of TMU students for the specific purpose of replicating a proctor's supervision for assessments delivered in remote environments. The collected data is only used for this purpose if actions identified as being outside of the expected behaviour are reviewed after the assessment has ended.

As a result, reviewing the flags on recordings is a requirement of instructors who choose to use Monitor. If at least the "High Priority" flags are not reviewed, the student personal information was collected for no purpose, making the use of Monitor outside of the approved use for the collection of student PI.

If you do not intend to review the "High Priority" flags, Respondus LockDown Browser (without Monitor) may be a more suitable option.

Note: Respondus Monitor is intended to be a deterrent, so it is up to the instructor to determine next-steps following their review of the flags.

All unable to launch LDB

If all students are unable to access the quiz, launch the Respondus Dashboard in your course and ensure that the intended settings are enabled for this specific quiz. Completing this step will often resolve some issues. 

All unable to view quiz in Brightspace

This is not a Respondus LDB issue; the settings of your D2L quiz are restricting visibility for students. 

Visit our Brightspace Exam Guide: D2L Quizzes resource for troubleshooting steps.

Question display issue

If all students cannot see a question, the question itself is likely corrupted. This cannot be updated mid-assessment.

After the assessment, if you would like to learn more about the display issue for this specific question, contact courses@torontomu.ca with your course shell code, quiz name, and the details of the question.

To avoid this issue, test the quiz in advance as a Demo Student using LockDown Browser (and Monitor, if relevant) to ensure that all questions function as expected; see the "Test your quiz" section above to learn more. 

Unable to launch Respondus Monitor or webcam issue

If a student reports that they can see the quiz in Brightspace, but are NOT able to start the quiz in Respondus LDB, or experiences an issue with the webcam onboarding:

1. Direct them to confirm their device’s compatibility on the Respondus website (external link) .
2. If it is compatible, ask them to restart their device.
3. They can then Uninstall Respondus LockDown Browser (external link)  and reinstall it using the link in your Brightspace Quiz or at TMU/Respondus Software Download page (external link) 
4. If the issue persists, they will need to open a ticket with Respondus Support (external link) . 

Let them know that the “LMS Web URL” requested in the form is: courses.torontomu.ca

Unable to view quiz in Brightspace

This is not a Respondus LDB issue; adjustments to the Quiz settings in D2L Brightspace are required. Troubleshooting steps are found at the Brightspace Exam Guide: D2L Quizzes resource.

Note that if this is impacting an individual student, likely causes may be: 

1. The End Date being in the past
2. Individual Special Access settings that provide an incorrect date/time to start the quiz 
3. The student may have already submitted an attempt

Frozen LDB or cannot resume quiz

If a student’s quiz is frozen, they will need to restart their LockDown Browser, and sometimes their entire device. Direct students to follow the Student Respondus Troubleshooting resource. If they cannot re-launch the tool, please follow the steps outlined in Unable to Launch Respondus Browser header (above). 

While attempting to resume a quiz in progress, if a student cannot see it listed, the End Date setting of the Brightspace Quiz is likely stopping them. As the instructor, only you can extend their access to allow them to continue the quiz. If you choose to do this, their previously saved answers will be included, and they can resume answering those they had missed. 

 Question Display Issue

If only one student experiences a display issue with a question, it is likely based on their device. 

The student will need to open a ticket with Respondus Support (external link)  (sharing their own information).

• Let them know that the “LMS Web URL” requested in the form is: courses.torontomu.ca

If multiple students experience display issues with the same question, there may be an error in the setup of your quiz question. Please contact the TMU Brightspace Support Team, courses@torontomu.ca, and share the details of the question.