LockDown Browser Instructor Information

Before beginning with LockDown Browser in your course, be sure to view a recorded training or participate in a live training.

These instructions come from the LockDown Browser faculty quick start guides from the Respondus LockDown Browser Resources. These guides have additional information about using the LockDown Browser. These resources also contain a link to register for a training webinar from Responsus.

Do note: currently UO does not offer technical support for faculty/students using LockDown Browser. Help should be accessed through its online Knowledge Base, its Student Help Center, and its own ticketing system.

First, enable LockDown browser for your course Canvas site.

Once LockDown Browser is added to your Canvas course by IS, it should automatically appear in the Course Navigation menu. If you don't see it, 

1. Go to Settings in the Course Navigation menu.
2. Then go to the Navigation tab.  
3. Find LockDown Browser in the enabled or hidden list.
   • If it is the enabled list, drag it higher in the list so it appears in your Course Navigation menu.
   • If it is in the hidden list, click the three dots and then Enable.
4. Click Save in the Navigation tab and it should then appear in your Course Navigation menu.

If you do not see LockDown Browser in your Navigation tab, please contact Information Services to verify that it's been added to your course Canvas site. (You will need to have signed up for the pilot unless you are in the Lundquist College of Business.)

Then, enable LockDown Browser for specific assignments. 

You can watch a video of these instructions for Canvas on Respondus's LockDown Browser Resource page. Choose the Canvas instructional video from the "Learn how to prepare an exam" section. 

1. Make sure the quiz has been created in your Canvas course. You do not need to use LockDown Browser to create the quiz.
2. From the Course Navigation in Canvas, select LockDown Browser.
3. A list of quizzes in the course will be displayed.
   • Quizzes labeled with Required require students to use LockDown Browser.
   • Quizzes labeled with Not Required do not require students to use LockDown Browser.
4. To change the settings, select Settings from the context menu to the left of the quiz title. Select "Require Respondus LockDown Browser for this exam" from the two radio button options.
5. Click Save and Close to apply the settings.

In the settings, there are some other optional settings. You can use the [explain] link that follows each one to learn more about it. They are also discussed in the Canvas instructional video on Respondus's LockDown Browser Resources page.

While students may have taken exams or quizzes through Canvas in the past, it may be confusing for them to take them during class and use a specific browser to do so. Talking about it early and often with students is important.

1. Include a statement in your syllabus about LockDown Browser. We've offered sample syllabus language below.
2. Discuss the LockDown Browser on the first day of class. Be brief, you don't need to describe it in detail for an exam weeks away. Encourage students to learn more about it on their own with instructions about information on your course Canvas (see our Canvas Instruction pages just below).
3. As the exam approaches, remind students repeatedly about the Browser and encourage them to download and install it. We, and Respondus, encourage you to create a practice quiz in Canvas for students that requires LockDown Browser. This gives students a way to practice with the Browser and understand how it will work on your first day of class.
4. Just before the exam, remind students to install the Browser and outline how the exam will work. Do this with a Canvas announcement and during class (ideally, the session before the exam).

When taking with students, you should discuss these few ideas.

• Why you are having them use the LockDown Browser. Include notes about how it can be beneficial to students, such as helping to reduce distractions when working on the exam digitally, saving students from writing out answers, improving grading time to see results sooner, and evening the playing field for students who may be tempted to use disallowed resources when taking non-proctored Canvas exams.
• Instructions for installing the LockDown Browser. It is software students need to install. You can can just direct them to instructions shared on your Canvas site, rather than walking them through the process.
• Alternatives to using the LockDown Browser. If a student is unable to use the LockDown Browser or declines to use it, you should have an alternative method for them to take the exam - on paper. Giving students the power to choose an alternative can help deal with frustration about being watched over while taking the exam. It also can reduce anxiety for students struggling to get the software working - even if they cannot get it working, they can still take the exam.

Below are a few resources for helping you talk about the LockDown Browser with students.

Canvas Instructions for Students

We've created a Canvas page that you can upload into your Canvas site to give students instructions for installing the LockDown Browser. There are slight differences for launching a quiz in Canvas depending on if you use Classic or New quizzes in Canvas. We have created a page for each type of quiz. They are based on Respondus's Student Quick Start Guides on Respondus's LockDown Browser Resources page.  

Find versions for both new and classic quizzes by searching in Canvas Commons for "LockDown Browser Student Instructions" and follow these instructions to import content in your course Canvas site. Alternately, you can download a Word Doc version of the student instructions and copy-and-paste the text into a Canvas page manually. 

After adding a student instruction page in your Canvas site, review its content to make sure it aligns with your course before publishing it. After publishing the page, make it easy to find for your students by linking to it in your syllabus, adding the page to top-level course information module, adding the page to modules with exam information, or linking to it in exam-reminder Canvas announcements.

Slides for Students

We've provided PowerPoint slides to introduce students to LockDown Browser (UO login to SharePoint required) and to remind them to install the LockDown browser prior to the exam. There is a selection of different slide types - ones for early in a course to introduce students to LockDown Browser, ones to remind students about it prior to an exam, directions for LockDown browser on exam day. Pick and choose slides that may help you communicate with students and please edit your copied version as needed to fit your course, teaching style, and exam details.

You can include this language in your syllabus to introduce students to the LockDown Browser. Feel free to modify it as you need.

These questions address pedagogical questions in using the LockDown Browser. For technical support for the LockDown Browser, please see its online Knowledge Base, its Student Help Center, or request help through its own ticketing system.

Am I required to use the LockDown Browser?

No. 

Can I have students use the LockDown Browser for remote exams?

We recommend that you do not because LockDown Browser does not record video, audio, or students' screens. Letting students do the exam remotely would still allow them to access their phone, another computer, textbooks, notes, etc. while working on the exam. The LockDown Browser only restricts what else they do with the computer they take the exam on.

Can students use LockDown Browser on their phone or tablet?

LockDown Browser cannot be installed on phones. There is an iPad version of the Browser, but there have been several reports of issues with using LockDown Browser on iPads. Additionally, if students have Canvas open on their phones, they will not be able to log into LockDown Browser.

Can I allow my students to access a specific webpage, document, graph, etc. during their exam. 

Yes! You can let students open a file in Canvas, such as a PDF or image, by linking to it in the exam. If you link to a specific webpage in your exam, students can open just that page but won't be able to navigate away from it. In an exam's LockDown Browser settings, you can approve whole websites that students can visit any page of while working on the exam. 

You could also provide students with paper versions of the material but still require them to answer questions about the material in Canvas.

What if a student does not want to, or cannot, install the LockDown Browser?

You will need to provide a paper version of the assignment for students to complete. You should make this alternative clear to students before the exam.

What do I do if a student is struggling to use the LockDown Browser during the exam?

Give the student a paper version of the exam. Helping them troubleshoot during the exam wastes their working time and potentially distracts neighboring students.

How do I grade exams with the LockDown Browser?

Because students are completing a Canvas assignment, you grade the exam the same way you would grade any other Canvas assignment. You do not need to use the LockDown Browser to grade (or create) the assignment in Canvas. Only students need to use the browser while taking the exam.