Lockdown Browser is a useful application that prevents students from being able to access outside applications and materials on their computer while taking an online exam. It also includes Respondus Monitor, which records students’ exam sessions using their webcams. However, the process of using Lockdown Browser and Respondus Monitor can sometimes be challenging.
We’ve compiled 4 helpful tips below to prevent students from running into errors when taking your exams:
- Ensure the latest version of Lockdown Browser is being used.
- To check for updates:
- Windows: start LockDown Browser and then click the “i” button in the toolbar
- Mac: start LockDown Browser and then click the “About” button in the toolbar. Then, click “Check for Update.”
- Here’s an article from Respondus on this subject.
- To check for updates:
- When using Respondus Monitor during an exam, certain events will trigger flags for different reasons. One of these is when a student’s face is not distinguishable to the computer. To produce a good webcam video, students should do the following:
- Take their exam in a bright room and avoid backlighting. Any lighting in the room should be directed at the face of the student, not their background.
- Make sure their device is on a hard surface.
- Avoid moving the screen or webcam after the initial setup and webcam check are done.
- Avoid wearing hats, hoodies, masks, or anything else that obstructs their face/head.
- Avoid changing their appearance or lighting conditions during the session.
- Take a LockDown Browser practice test in our practice course by enrolling in the course linked below:
- Finally, if you run into any errors, take a picture or video of the issue and submit it along with a description of the error to the FAU Help Desk service linked below:
For more info, check out our Instructor and Student LockDown Browser guides below: