Instructional Technology: Online Testing

Virginia Western through the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) has a contract with three distinct products from Respondus 

• Respondus 4.0 (Download and Tutorials) is a powerful tool for creating and managing exams and surveys that can be printed to paper or published directly to Canvas.
• Respondus Lockdown Browser  (RLB) is a secure browser that allows teachers to administer tests and quizzes on Canvas while also preventing students from printing, copying, going to another URL, or accessing other applications.
• Respondus Monitor is an automated proctoring tool that uses video recordings of student testing and requires the use of Respondus Lockdown Browser. The Monitor product primarily serves as a deterrent to students using secondary computers, phones, calculators, textbooks, or receiving assistance from other students.  Like all other academic integrity measures, it is not full-proof and alone does not usually provide definitive proof of cheating.

How to import the Student Respondus Module

This video demonstrates how to import the Student Respondus Module into your Canvas Course in just a few easy steps. This module includes the all important practice quiz and additional resources for students.  Your students will appreciate this module.

The new Chromebook extension for LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor can be used with both New Quizzes and Classic Quizzes in Canvas courses.

Instructors/Teachers : During the beta period, instructors will need to enable the use of the Chromebook version on a per exam basis.

• Go to the LockDown Browser Dashboard within Canvas
• Select “Require Respondus LockDown Browser for this exam”
• Expand “Advanced Settings” and select “Allow students to use LockDown Browser for Chromebook (beta)”
• Save the exam settings for LockDown Browser             

Students: Installing LockDown Browser to a Chromebook is easy.  

• Log into the Chromebook start Google Chrome
• Log into Canvas and navigate to the exam that requires LockDown Browser
• Select the link for downloading and installing LockDown Browser
• From the Chrome web store, select “Add to Chrome” to install the LockDown Browser Extension

Note: during the beta, this extension will only work with quizzes an instructor has enabled for use with LockDown Browser for Chromebook

The following Knowledgebase article provides additional information about the beta release of LockDown Browser for Chromebook, including feature limitations and known issues:

https://support.respondus.com/support/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/586. 

This article will be updated periodically during the beta.

If you have technical questions, or would like to report bugs/issues, please open a support ticket at https://support.respondus.com. Be sure to indicate you are using LockDown Browser for Chromebook.

Respondus Monitor uses a webcam to record a student during a test session in order to ensure the academic integrity of the testing process.  Respondus authenticates uses through the college’s Learning Management System so students, faculty and administrators all have to login through our system to access the Respondus product. 

- The webcam video recorded during an exam session, along with other proctoring data collected by the system, is analyzed by an automated system.

- No one watches the student live, and only the instructor has access to the webcam video and proctoring data after the exam is completed. **

- The only way to access a webcam video and the proctoring data is by using instructor-level (or higher) credentials within your institution's Learning Management System.

- By default, the recordings are stored for 5 years on our secure AWS servers, unless your institution chooses a shorter storage time. They are then deleted, once the 5 year mark is reached.

You can review the Student Terms of Use here https://web.respondus.com/tou-monitor-student/ and the privacy policy here: https://web.respondus.com/privacy/privacy-additional-monitor/

**Note: AT VWCC, besides the instructor only the Dean of the academic school the faculty member reports to, and three LMS administrators have access to the recordings.  Because this recording is considered  academic information, FERPA (Federal Law) forbids anyone from accessing the recordings without a legitimate educational interest.  For more information on FERPA go here https://www.virginiawestern.edu/records/righttoprivacy.php

1. Set up a test in Canvas that requires students to use Respondus Monitor.
2. Select the items to be included in the Respondus Monitor “Startup Sequence”, which includes the steps a student must complete prior to the start of an exam. Make sure to select the options of “Student Photo” and “Show ID”. The “Student Photo” option requires student to take a snapshot of themselves. And the “Show ID” option requires students to present their identification ID to the webcam. The ID will be recorded by Respondus Monitor and can be reviewed by the faculty.
3. Provide directions on student’s identification ID: Click on “Edit Text” button and change the default text message to “The identification must be a government issued photo ID such as a college issued ID, a valid state driver’s license, passport, or military ID” (see the image below)

Notes: Instructor may need to provide the same directions on student identification ID in course syllabus and test instruction area.

4. The details of Respondus Monitor Startup Sequence and exam session can be reviewed within Respondus LockDown Browser Dashboard in Canvas course. A roster of the students in the course is shown, along with the date, time, duration, review priority, and grade (if available) for the test. To make sure the correct student took the test, instructor will need to click on every student in the class and compare each student's snapshot with their ID photo.

Resources for Faculty

• For an overview of Respondus Monitor, watch Respondus Monitor: Proctoring Done Right
• For syllabus information, see Using LockDown Browser and a Webcam for Online Exams
• For more on setting up an exam in Monitor, see Instructor Quick Start Guide: LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor Classic Quizzes and New Quizzes
• Preparing an Exam for Use with LockDown Browser & Respondus Monitor (video 4:50 minutes)

The "Show Your Work" feature allows students to upload hi-resolution images of worksheets they've prepared during their exam. If this setting is enabled by the instructor, the student will be given the opportunity to upload photos of their work immediately after they submit their exam.

***This feature is only available if "Respondus Monitor" has been selected as the proctoring option for the exam. ***

To learn more about this feature and how to use it, please click this link.

Live Training Webinars:  

This comprehensive training webinar is intended for instructors who plan to use LockDown Browser and/or Respondus Monitor with online exams. The session provides a detailed demonstration of both applications, including enhancements that make Respondus Monitor even more effective and easy to use.

Live webinars are held regularly for schedule an more information go to the Respondus Instructor Training Page

Faculty Support Resources: 

Rapid Rollout of LockDown Browser & Respondus Monitor for Instructors - This is quick start guide for faculty to get up and running in a short amount of time.

Understanding Proctoring Results  -This is a helpful article by the Respondus team about how to interpret the video recording created by Respondus Monitor

Additional links to Respondus help pages:

• Respondus LockDown Browser resources
• Respondus Monitor resources 
• Training Webinar Schedule 
• Technical Support & Knowledge Base 
• Review full-length instructor training: Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor