New online tool for faculty and instructors

Faculty will be happy to hear about a new online tool called Respondus LockDown Browser. The tool is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment in Brightspace, the integrated learning platform in UM Learn.

When students use LockDown Browser to access a quiz, they are unable to print, copy, go to another URL, access other applications, or close a quiz until it is submitted for grading. Tests created for use with LockDown Browser cannot be accessed with standard browsers, either. LockDown Browser works much like a standard browser, but some options have been removed or work differently. Some of these differences include: a modified toolbar that includes only forward, back, refresh and stop functions; assessment mode; disabled controls such as all printing, keystroke combinations, screen grab, function keys, and right-click menus; disabled links; and locked features and applications such as the start button (Windows), system tray, and menu bars.

Users are required to install LockDown Browser on their personal computer (Windows or Mac) or use a computer in the open area labs.

“This is another tool that U of M faculty and instructors will find very useful in UM Learn,” notes Mark Torchia, executive director of the Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning. “It’s seamless and ensures fairness and integrity in a testing environment. Used at over 1,000 higher ed and K-12 institutions, LockDown Browser is the top choice of educators for securing online exams in classrooms or proctored environments.”

Support: Contact Service Desk at 204-474-8600 or servicedesk@umanitoba.ca