Respondus

• BCM IT Website
• BCM IT Software Catalog
• Access Respondus support via the application or on the Respondus website.

LockDown Browser

• The LockDown Browser toolbar is modified to only include Forward, Back, Refresh, and Stop functions.
• All access to other applications is disabled.
• Students cannot enter a web address to go to another site, and they cannot open other tabs (unless a link to another site is included within a test question).
• The browser is displayed full-screen and cannot be minimized, resized, or exited until the test is submitted.
• All printing, keyboard shortcuts (including copy/paste), screen capture, function keys, and right-click menus are disabled.

Respondus 4.0

Respondus​ is a tool for creating and managing exams that can be printed to paper or published directly to Blackboard. Exams can be created offline using a familiar Windows environment or moved from one LMS to another. Whether you are a veteran of online testing or relatively new to it, Respondus will save you hours on each project.​​

Uses:

• Convert an on-paper exam (in Word document) into a Blackboard Quiz
• Manage quizzes
• Share quizzes
• Move Blackboard quiz to paper copy (accommodation)

Accessibility

Respondus LockDown Browser offers accessibility features that allows users to easily navigate and read the Respondus web interface. The web interface supports screen readers for all available creator and viewer interfaces. The web interface also support keyboard access, allowing you to use the tab key to access all available functions. All sessions fully support adding and displaying captions.

Respondus tools are not accessible to all screen readers. Test these resources before requesting students to use them.

For additional information on Respondus’ accessibility features, visit Respondus’ Accessibility Conformance Report (WCAG Edition).

Note that you will need to ensure that your students have installed Respondus LockDown Browser before the assessment date. Place a link to the Respondus Installation for Students in your course and share the link in an announcement to remind students.

Enabling LockDown Browser for a Quiz, Test, or Exam

1. Login into Blackboard.
2. Go into the Original View course that you want to use LockDown Browser in.
3. Under Course Management, click on Course Tools.
4. Select Respondus LockDown Browser tool.
5. First the LockDown Browser Resources will be displayed, review the tutorials provided and when ready select the Continue to LockDown Browser button on the lower right hand side of the screen.
6. Now, you will see a list of all quizzes, tests, and exams currently in your course.
7. Select the chevron icon next to the assessment that you want to enable LockDown Browser in.
8. Under the LockDown Browser Settings, select Require Respondus LockDown Browser for this exam.
   1. You can add a password for students to use to access the exam.
   2. You can also enable advanced settings.
9. Once you have adjusted all your settings, select the Save + Close button to save your changes.

Make sure to view the tutorials on this page or register for training before starting to use Respondus in your classroom.

Note that Respondus LockDown Browser is not available for Ultra View courses.

Respondus 4.0

Respondus is a PC-only program that allows you to easily create new exams/surveys or upload your existing exams/surveys to Blackboard.

BCM owns a university-wide subscription to Respondus. If you would like to get started with Respondus, email ed-tech@bcm.edu to provide a license. Download the BCM campus version of Respondus 4.0.

Note: View the following tutorials to create exams. Make sure your Edit Mode button is ON inside Blackboard. If it is set to OFF, the upload process may not work.

Respondus LockDown Browser is a custom browser that enhances the security of web-based testing. When students use Respondus LockDown Browser to take a web-based quiz or exam in Blackboard, they are prevented from printing, copying, accessing other applications or websites, or closing a test before the test has been submitted for grading. 

• Quizzes or exams that require the use of LockDown Browser cannot be accessed with standard browsers.
• Respondus must be used to prepare a Blackboard quiz or exam for use with Respondus LockDown Browser. 
• For additional assistance and student resources, contact ed-tech@bcm.edu.
• Instructor Quick Start Guide 
• Installing the Student Lock-Down Browser 
• Can an iPad be used with LockDown Browser? (instructions for faculty)

Instructor Resources

• Video: Preparing an Exam for Use with Respondus Monitor and LockDown Browser (4:49 minutes) and a video for Blackboard Learn — Original View (1:57 minutes) on preparing an exam.
• Quick Start Guide: Instructor Live Proctoring with LockDown Browser
• Video: Instructor Live Proctoring (4:57 minutes)
• Instructor Tutorial: Remote Assessment and Examinations

Want to learn more about creating tests and exams in Blackboard Learn? Visit the Blackboard Assessments & Grading and the Blackboard Learn — Learning Management System sections of the BCM website.

Student Resources

• Download and Install LockDown Browser
• Quick Start Guide: LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitoring
• Student Tutorial: Remote Assessment and Examinations

Recommended Best Practices

Respondus LockDown Browser is straightforward to use, but there are some suggested best practices that will help it go smoothly for your students.

• Do not change test name – Once you have enabled Respondus LockDown Browser on a test, do not change the name of the test, or Respondus will not work correctly
• Do not modify the test password – If you want to set a password for the test, do so via the Respondus LockDown Browser settings and not the Test Settings. Respondus uses the password field to prevent students from taking the test from another browser, and modifying the password in Test Settings will prevent it from working correctly
• Add a statement to the syllabus – Explain to students early that they must use Respondus LockDown Browser for their online exams. Respondus provides a sample syllabus statement you may want to include or modify
• Hold a practice test or quiz – Before students need to use Respondus LockDown Browser for a high-stakes test or a quiz, have them complete a brief practice quiz to demonstrate that they have installed the browser and it is functioning correctly. This quiz can be for a few points extra credit or no points

Updating Respondus

Make sure to update this tool prior to using it for a final exam by following the below instructions.

• For Windows users, start Respondus LockDown Browser, select the “i” button from the toolbar, and then click “Check for Newer Version.” Your current version will be displayed, and you will be able to download a newer version if one is available.
• For Mac users, start Respondus LockDown Browser, select “About” from the toolbar, and then click “Check for Update.” The current version will be displayed, and you will be able to download a newer version if one is available.

You can also update LockDown Browser by downloading and running the full installation program again. This is the best option if the “Check for Newer Version” on your Respondus LockDown Browser application does not recognize the latest version.

Respondus is a powerful software application that enhances the functionality and usability of Blackboard's (Bb) quiz, survey, and self-test tools. It also provides seamless synchronization of print-based and online exams. Whether you are a "power user" of Bb or a relatively new user, Respondus can save you hours on each assessment or survey project.

**Respondus 4.0 will not work on a MAC**

Respondus Setup

• BCM owns a university-wide subscription to Respondus. If you would like to get started with Respondus, email ed-tech@bcm.edu to provide a license and a download link to the BCM campus version of Respondus 4.0.
• Use the Respondus 4.0 Quick Start Guide
• Respondus 4.0 Download and Installation instructions

Create and Format Questions

• This tutorial will discuss how to create and format questions using the Edit menu in Respondus.

  Open the Create and Format Questions video tutorial to learn more.

Import Questions

• This tutorial will discuss how to import exam questions from text files, rich text files, or Word documents. These files must be properly formatted in order to successfully upload to Blackboard.
  • Select Import Questions.
  • Select the type of file from the dropdown box.
  • Click Browse and select your file.
  • Name your file. 
  • Optionally, add a stem to the question title.
  • Click Preview to check for any errors in your document. 
  • Review the Preview results window to review any errors
  • Make any corrections and click Preview again.
  • Once there are no errors, click Finish.
• Open the Import Questions video tutorial to learn more.

Publish to Blackboard Course

• This tutorial will discuss how to upload the Respondus exam to a Blackboard course. The server settings must be setup in order to complete this task.

  Open the Publish to a Blackboard Course video tutorial to learn more.

Use Publisher Test Banks

• This tutorial will discuss how to gain access to publisher test banks and publish to your Blackboard course, using Respondus.

  Open the Use Publisher Test Banks video tutorial to learn more.

General Resources

• Quick Start Guide
• Respondus 4.0 User Guide
• Can an iPad be used with LockDown Browser? (instructions for faculty)
• Respondus Videos
• Respondus YouTube Videos 
• Respondus Best Practices

Materials and resources for this area are being developed by the Office of Academic Technology: Education Technology. They will be added to this section as soon as they are ready. 

We've got your back
Go to the link below to submit a service request or resolve an issue. Login using your BCM username and password for access and select the appropriate Application. For questions, contact Ed-Tech.

Submit an Ed-Tech Form.

For Wifi issues, send an email to: wi-fiissues@bcm.edu

• Forgetting to select the correct answer. 
• Forgetting to include a period at the end of the question number.

• No audio is coming from my microphone
• Cannot connect or configure the webcam
• Webcam blocked
• Spinning wheel during webcam check
• My webcam image is upside down
• “There is a problem with the settings for the exam” - contact your instructor to let them know.
• Blank screen when using RLDB
• RLDB froze during a test and I cannot exit
• Clicking on the “Launch LockDown Browser” Button Has No Result
• Clicking on the “Start New Attempt” Button Has No Result
• Slow computer response

• "There is a problem with the settings for this exam"
• "Connecting to media server, please wait..."
• "Unable to retrieve settings from the Respondus server"
• "We are unable to detect a microphone with your computer"
• "Video connection timed out"
• "Bad Image" 0xc0000020 when starting LockDown Browser"
• "The resolution of this image is too high to display"
• "Error sending exam start notification, unable to continue with exam."
• "Update server is not supplying information, or the connection to update server is blocked."
• “Unable to store institution ID to the registry, installation will not work correctly”
• "Feature Transfer Error" during install of LockDown Browser"
• Error codes: -7, -21, -101, -105, -106 , -111, -118 and similar 0-199 codes.

• I need Administrator rights to install Respondus LockDown Browser (Windows)
• Windows - How to Setup Keyboard Language Switching for LockDown Browser
• Font size is too small during LockDown Browser exam
• I restarted my computer while LockDown Browser was running. Windows Task Manager is now greyed out.
• I need to close Dell Dock, Google Desktop and/or Skype (Windows users)

• macOS 10.14.x (and newer) Camera and Microphone Permissions
• Mac - How to Setup Keyboard Language Switching for LockDown Browser
• 0x-AWS-xxx Unable to connect to Respondus Server (AWS)
• I need to close Apple VNC Server and/or ARD Agent (Mac users)
• Update Check Failed: Error Code a4

• Spinning Wheel During Webcam Check
• Cannot detect or configure the webcam
• Webcam blocked
• Facial detection failing
• Webcam blocked
• Your face isn't showing clearly in the video
• Recording failed

• How can I change my webcam?
• Cannot detect or configure the webcam
• No audio is coming from my microphone
• Webcam hangs at "environment check"
• Webcam image is upside down
• What external USB webcams are supported by Mac Lockdown Browser?
• How much bandwidth is required for the webcam to work properly?
• Mac: Webcam Not Detected
• Spinning Wheel During Webcam Check

• Avast
• Bitdefender
• AVG
• Kaspersky
• Norton 360
• Anti-virtual software & camera privacy settings

If you are having problems installing LockDown Browser on a Windows system, we recommend the following additional steps:

1. Directly log into a system as a local administrator with full rights. Do not use “Switch User” or a “Remote Access” connection.
   Important Note: Logging in as a non-administrator and then using “Run as Administrator” may not set the correct permissions.
2. Temporarily disable all security software. Contact the IT Help Desk for additional assistance in disabling your security software.
3. Download Respondus LockDown Browser. Do not “Google” for a link because these are campus specific.
4. When you start running the installer and get to the large button “LockDown Browser Click to install”, instead click the link “Problems with the installation program? Click here”. You will be presented with an option to extract the files to a location of your choosing.
5. Go to the folder you extracted the files and run “setup.exe”.
6. Start the LockDown Browser to verify installation and then quit the LockDown Browser.
7. Re-enable any security software.
    

Because the LockDown Browser is a shell that sits on top of an Internet browser (Internet Explorer for PC users and Safari for Mac Users), we recommend students access their course with either Internet Explorer or Safari and take a non-LDB enabled practice quiz to resolve any settings and media plug-ins prior to taking a test with LockDown Browser.

For Windows systems, we suggest relaxing any security settings to “medium”, add “LockDown.exe” as a trusted application and “*.uwyo.edu” address as a trusted site in any security software.

We strongly recommend using an Ethernet (wired) Internet connection with a speed of at least 512 Kbps or higher while taking your exam in LockDown Browser. If you use a wireless, USB modem, laptop connect card, or mobile hotspot connection during an exam, you are more likely to run into problems due to dropped/interrupted connections to the Blackboard server. This is because the Blackboard server is more bandwidth intensive (especially during exams) than normal Internet surfing.

If you lose your Internet connection during the exam, it will lock up the browser and not allow you to save answers, move on to other questions, submit or exit the exam. Ethernet connections are the most stable connection to the Blackboard servers. If you have a router, plugging directly into it when taking exams will reduce the chances of connection interruptions.

The LockDown Browser is programmed to detect when conflicting programs are still running and will request that you close these programs. Some programs like the Dell Dock and Google Toolbar run as a background process on your computer and will have to be shutdown before you can proceed in the LockDown Browser. You can usually turn these programs off through the task tray or, in the case of the Dell Dock, by right clicking on the application and clicking Exit.

In some rare instances, these programs running in the background can cause the LockDown Browser to lock up or stop responding. Programs that use Java or the Internet such iTunes and other media managers, file sharing agents like Bittorent, and instant messenger applications have a higher risk of causing the LockDown Browser to lock up. It is best to close every program on your computer before starting the LockDown Browser.

More information for “You must close the following program before starting the browser.” Why does this occur?

If the LockDown Browser stops responding before you start an exam or if you see a blank page that fills the computer screen, this could be due to security windows that have popped up behind the LockDown browser. If you have not started the exam, close the browser and address the security pop-up windows. You should be able to reopen the browser without issue. However, if you have started the exam, the only known workaround is to restart your computer and address the pop-up windows before beginning the exam.

If you lose your Internet connection while taking an exam or if you have outdated and/or multiple Java installations, the LockDown Browser and your computer may stop responding or freeze. Currently, the only way to resolve this issue is to do a hard shutdown (i.e. unplugging all power from the computer including power cables and/or batteries if you are using a laptop). If you are missing your Start Menu, Task Bar or are unable to access the Task Manager after doing a hard reboot, you can restore these applications by restarting the LockDown Browser and exiting the software properly.

Depending on your system, this could take several minutes and will cause you to lose time on the exam. In most cases, as long as the time has not expired, it should let you back into the exam. As soon as you have completed the exam, immediately e-mail your instructor to let them know what happened.

More information for LockDown Browser froze during a test and I cannot exit.

Occasionally, Respondus will release a new version of the LockDown Browser. When a new version of LockDown Browser becomes available, the system will prompt you to update your installation of the software.

Whenever you update your LockDown Browser, you may also want to do the following:

1. Make sure your system is up-to-date by installing all necessary system updates. You will also want to make sure you have the latest version of Internet Explorer for Windows users and Safari for Mac users.
2. Make sure you only have one version of the most recent Java installed on your system.

When a student has two displays (or a laptop screen + monitor) and the scaling setting is different this may happen. For example the laptop is at 125% and the monitor is 100%. If that's the cause then the student can either set both to the same scaling, or unplug the second monitor before starting the exam.