Respondus Monitor Pilot

What is Respondus Monitor?

Respondus LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor are tools used within Canvas Quizzes to help protect the integrity of online exams. LockDown Browser is a custom web browser that restricts a student’s computer during a quiz or exam, while Respondus Monitor is an optional, fully automated remote proctoring service that uses a student’s webcam and microphone to record exam sessions for instructor review. The goal of this pilot is to better understand how Respondus Monitor or other digital proctoring tools may support academic integrity in certain assessment contexts, while also gathering faculty feedback to inform any future decisions about broader adoption and tool features. 

How Does it Work?

LockDown Browser

When LockDown Browser is enabled for a Canvas quiz, students must launch the assessment using this browser rather than a standard web browser. The quiz opens in full screen and cannot be minimized or exited until submission. During the exam, students are prevented from printing, copying, or pasting, screen‑capturing, opening other applications, visiting unrelated websites, or using messaging and screen‑sharing tools. Use of this tool as a stand alone is intended for in-person course assessment.

Respondus Monitor

When Respondus Monitor is added to LockDown Browser, the assessment session is recorded via the student’s webcam. Students may be required to complete a startup sequence that can include identity verification, an environment check, and facial detection. Monitor uses artificial intelligence to flag behaviors such as leaving the camera view or the presence of another person, and these flagged moments are compiled into a report for the instructor to review within Canvas. Exams are taken on the student’s own schedule, without advance appointment or live proctor scheduling. Use of this tool is for asynchronous online courses.

Enabling in course site (Cannot be enabled until the start of summer term)

Once LockDown Browser 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.

Enabling on specific quizzes

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.
   1. Quizzes labeled with Required require students to use LockDown Browser.
   2. 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 "Requires Respondus Monitor for this Exam"
6. Select among the options for Respondus Monitor, i.e, Show ID, Environment check, and any additional instructions. 
7. Click Save and Close to apply the settings.

Respondus Monitor Settings

There are three primary ways to administer an exam using Respondus Monitor

• Respondus Monitor (Automated Proctoring): uses AI-assisted video analysis of the student's webcam, microphone, and screen during an exam. Optional startup sequence items include environment check, student photo, showing ID, among others. 
  • Considerations: Instructor review burden and false positives
• Respondus Monitor with second camera: this adds a mobile device or secondary camera (usually a phone) to capture the student's surroundings and workspace.
  • Considerations: Equity concerns (requiring a second camera), increased setup complexity, Intrusiveness (students may feel this invades their personal living space).
• LockDown Browser with Instructor Supervision: In this model, students use LockDown Browser to secure the testing computer, while instructors supervise live via Zoom, Teams, or similar platforms.
  • Considerations: Requires real-time instructor supervision potentially creating scheduling challenges and is difficult to scale beyond small cohorts. 

Use a Practice Quiz with LockDown Browser

Respondus recommends creating a practice quiz in Canvas that uses Monitor. Offer this quiz in Canvas before your first exam so that students can explore how Respondus Monitor works or reach out to Respondus for support if needed. The questions in your practice quiz do not have to be course content-related (but they could)! Some faculty have, for example, used the practice quiz as a syllabus quiz to encourage students to read the syllabus. You can chose to associate course credit, or extra credit, with taking the practice quiz in Canvas. The goal is for students to get comfortable with the tools and limitations of Respondus Monitor before they take their first exam with it. 

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. 

1. Include a statement in your syllabus about Respondus Monitor. We've offered sample syllabus language below.
2. Discuss the tool at the beginning of the term. Be brief, you don't need to describe it in detail for an exam weeks away. 
3. As the exam approaches, remind students repeatedly about the Browser and encourage them to download and install it. We encourage you to create a practice quiz in Canvas for students that requires Respondus Monitor. This gives students a way to practice with the Browser and understand how it will work before they need to use it for an exam.
4. Remind students to install the Browser and outline how the exam will work. Do this with a Canvas announcement.

Sample Syllabus Language 

This course requires the use of LockDown Browser and a webcam for online exams. The webcam can be built into your computer or can be the type that plugs in with a USB cable. Watch this short video to get a basic understanding of LockDown Browser and the webcam feature. A student Quick Start Guide (PDF) is also available. 

Download and install LockDown Browser from this link

To ensure LockDown Browser and the webcam are set up properly, do the following: 

Start LockDown Browser, log into Canvas, and select this course. Locate and select the Help Center button on the LockDown Browser toolbar.  Run the Webcam Check and, if necessary, resolve any issues. Run the System & Network Check. If a problem is indicated, see if a solution is provided in the Knowledge Base. Exit the Help Center and locate the practice quiz named Respondus Monitor Practice Quiz.  Upon completing and submitting the practice quiz, exit LockDown Browser.  

When taking an online exam that requires LockDown Browser and a webcam, remember the following guidelines: Select a location where you are comfortable having a video recording taken of yourself and your workspace environment. This area should also be free of distractions and interruptions. Turn off all other devices (e.g., tablets, phones, second computers) and place them outside of your reach. Clear your desk of all external materials not permitted — books, papers, other devices, etc. Before starting the test, know how much time is available for it, and that you’ve allotted sufficient time to complete it. Remain at your device for the duration of the test. If the device or networking environment is different than what was used previously with the Webcam Check and System & Network Check in LockDown Browser, run the checks again prior to starting the test. Avoid wearing baseball caps or hats with brims. Ensure your device is on a firm surface (a desk or table). Do NOT have the device on your lap, a bed or other surface where the device (or you) are likely to move. If using a built-in webcam, avoid tilting the screen after the webcam setup is complete. Take the exam in a well-lit room and avoid backlighting, such as sitting with your back to a window. Remember that LockDown Browser will prevent you from accessing other websites or applications; you will be unable to exit the test until all questions are completed and submitted. 

For those students who would like to opt-out of use of Respondus Monitor, they can locate an in-person proctor at a local institution and are responsible for any associated fees. Use of in-person proctoring needs to be approved by the UO Online Exam Center and more information on proctor requirements can be found at their off-campus web page. 

When talking with students, you should discuss these few ideas:

• Why you are having them use the Respondus Monitor Include notes about how it can be beneficial to students 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 just direct them to instructions shared on your Canvas site, rather than walking them through the process.
• Alternatives to using the Respondus Monitor. If a student declines to use it, they will need to locate a remote proctor for in-person testing at a local institution that meets UO Online requirements to complete the exam in-person by submitting a remote proctor request form. Students are responsible for any associated fees. 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.

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 and include a link to your practice quiz (the location to add your link is underlined) 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.

Faculty Oversight & Alternatives

Respondus Monitor does not make determinations about academic misconduct. Instructors are responsible for reviewing flagged videos and deciding whether further follow‑up is warranted. If Monitor is not appropriate for a particular student or assessment, instructors may provide alternatives, such as a non‑proctored version of the quiz, a time‑limited assessment, or live instructor proctoring conducted through Zoom while students still use LockDown Browser (without Monitor).  

It is also important to note that these tools do not prevent students from using other internet‑enabled devices (such as smartphones or tablets) during an exam. Instructors can opt to use the additional feature of a second recording device to monitor the exam from an alternate angle in addition to the webcam. Students must have administrator rights on their computer to install and run LockDown Browser. The software is available for student‑owned Windows, macOS, Chromebooks, and supported devices require a download before use.  

In person remote proctors: In the event that a student expresses concern with the use of Respondus Monitor, instructors can use a bypass code for individual students to take the exam in-person at an approved testing center. Students can submit remote proctor requests to UO Online who will review the submission and apply existing UO Online guidelines for remote proctor approval. Students are responsible for locating an acceptable proctor and any associated fees, but UO Online can provide guidance or previously used sites for student consideration. Unfortunately, due to capacity constraints, UO Online cannot guarantee the ability to accommodate students located in Eugene at the UO Online Exam Center during high traffic periods. 

Best Practices

Respondus and campus support units strongly recommend creating a low‑stakes practice quiz before using Monitor for a graded exam. This allows students to test their technology and helps identify common issues such as lack of a webcam, software installation problems, or privacy concerns. After an exam, reviewing Monitor flags and recordings is essential to ensuring the tool is used effectively and responsibly.  

Accessibility Considerations

LockDown Browser works with certain screen readers (including VoiceOver on macOS and NVDA or JAWS on Windows) when the most current version is installed. Screen magnification tools may also function. Students who need to utilize reading technology, text-to-speech, such as Kurzweil ReadTheWeb, can use the built-in extension. See here for more details. Instructors should plan accommodations and alternatives as needed for students using assistive technology.  

Assessment Alternatives

Before using an exam proctoring service such as Respondus Monitor, faculty should consider other options for reducing the potential for academic dishonesty when planning summative assessments in their online courses. Consider alternative forms of assessment: Rigorous assessment doesn't have to be limited to administering traditional exams and quizzes. For example, alternatives that draw on students' creativity (such as developing a product proposal, writing a story or article for a particular audience, or completing a real-world task that draws upon course knowledge and skills) can provide rich, authentic alternatives to the traditional assessment. For more information and ideas for how you can assess learning without traditional proctored assessment, see the Assessment & Grading Hub.

Problems? In you have problems downloading, installing or taking an assessment contact Contact Respondus Customer Support

Submit a support ticket with Respondus

Instructor Classic Quiz Quick Start Guide

Instructor New Quizzes Quick Start Guide

Student Classic Quiz Quick Start guide 

Student New Quizzes Quick Start Guide 

LockDown Browser Instructor Information

Data Privacy Overview

To learn more about the Respondus Monitor Privacy Policy, visit the vendors documentation.