Setting Up Respondus Monitor        

1. While setting up LockDown Browser for your quiz or exam, click the button next to Require Respondus Monitor for this Exam.

2. Choose your Startup Sequence Options:

• Webcam Check: This setting is required and cannot be unchecked. This allows the student's computer to run through a check to ensure a webcam is connected and functioning.
• Additional Instructions: If you have additional instructions that you would like your students to see prior to the exam, please enter them here.
• Student Photo: The Student Photo setting takes a picture of the student as a reference to match previous videos and for you to match the next setting (if enabled).
• Show ID: You may require students to show a picture ID to the camera (e.g. drivers license or college issued ID) to match photo and name to the student.
• Environment Check: Environment Check requires students to film their surroundings, based on the requirements you set under "Edit Text". You may have students film their entire work space, behind their desk, etc. to make sure there are no text books, phones, tablets,  people or scrap paper.

3. The following options are available by expanding the section labeled Advanced Settings:

• Check the first checkbox to allow another application to access the microphone during the exam.
• Check the second checkbox to make the video available for viewing on mobile devices.
• Enter your demo student username in the space provided to test the product as a student.  This is not included in the institutional seat limit, nor is it subject to a charge.

4. When you are finished, click Save and Close.

Video Tutorial: Setting Up Respondus Monitor for Instructors

If you enabled Respondus Monitor for your quiz, you can access  information about the quiz session and review the recorded videos of your students. Please remember, Respondus Monitor is intended to be a  deterrent, so it is up to you, the instructor, to determine the level of review that is warranted.

To review student videos:            

1. Return to the LockDown Browser dashboard in the Canvas course. 

2. From the menu to the left of the quiz title, select Class Results.

3. A roster of the students in the course is shown, along with the date, time, duration, and grade (if automatically graded) for the quiz. Review Priority is a comprehensive measure that conveys whether a student's exam session warrants a closer look by the instructor. Results appear in Low, Medium, and High categories with a green-to-red bar graph conveying the risk level.

4. Click the [ + ] to expand the section for additional student details.

5. Details of the startup sequence and the exam session are shown in  thumbnails. Click on a thumbnail to view the video from the time indicated. Videos can be marked as reviewed, flagged, or have comments added by the instructor.

1) Summary of key data, 2) List of Flags and Milestones (see explanation below), 3) Video playback and controls,  4) Timeline with flags (red) and milestones (blue), 5) Thumbnail images from video

Frequently Asked Questions            

Q. How is Review Priority Determined?

A. The Review Priority value is derived from three sources of data:

• the webcam video of the test taker
• the computing device & network used for the assessment
• the student's interaction with the assessment itself

The webcam video is analyzed using facial detection technology, which is how flagged events like "Missing from Frame" and "Different person in frame" are generated. Facial detection/recognition is an especially important part of the data analysis that occurs.

Data from the computing device and network will generate events such as video interruptions, auto-restarts of a webcam session, mouse/trackpad/keyboard/touch usage, attempts to switch applications, and so forth.

Data is also obtained from the student's interaction with the assessment, such as when the exam session starts and ends, when answers are saved, if the student exited the exam early, and so forth.

Using a patent-pending process, the data is then analyzed at two levels. It is first compared to baseline data for all videos analyzed by the Respondus Monitor system. It is then compared to data from other test takers of the same examination. Finally, weights and other adjustments are made to the data, from which the Review Priority value is generated.   

Q. What are Flags and Milestones?

A. Respondus Monitor generates a list of events from the exam session. "Flags" are events where a problem might exist, whereas "milestones" are general occurrences such as when the exam started, or when a question was answered.

Flagged Events*

• Missing from Frame — the student could not be detected in the video frame for a period of time
• Different person in Frame — a different person from whom started the exam may have been detected in the video frame for a period of time
• Multiple persons in Frame — multiple faces are detected in the video for a period of time
• An Internet interruption occurred — a video interruption occurred as a result of an internet failure
• Video frame rate lowered due to quality of internet connection — if a poor upload speed is detected with the internet connection, the frame rate is automatically lowered for the webcam video
• Student exited LockDown Browser early — the student used a manual process to terminate the exam session early; the reason provided by the student is shown
• Low Facial Detection — facial detection could not be achieved for a significant portion of the exam
• A webcam was disconnected — the web camera was disconnected from the computing device during the exam
• A webcam was connected — a web camera was connected to the computing device during the exam
• An attempt was made to switch to another screen or application — indicates an application-switching swipe or keystroke combination was attempted
• Video session terminated early — indicates the video session terminated unexpectedly, and that it didn't automatically reconnect before the exam was completed by the student
• Failed Facial Detection Check — facial detection could not be achieved during the Facial Detection Check portion of the startup sequence
• Student turned off facial detection alerts — the student selected "Don't show this alert again" when the facial detection alert appeared during the assessment. The student did not receive alerts after this.

Milestone Events*

• Question X Answered — an answer to the question was entered (or changed) by the student
• Pre-Exam — the webcam recording that occurs between the environment check and the start of the exam
• Exam Start — the start of the exam
• End of Exam — the exam was submitted

^{* New flags and milestones are added periodically; this list isn't comprehensive.}

Important Tips            

1) Flags aren't cheating. Flagged events and the Review Priority value don't determine whether a student has cheated or not. Rather, they are tools to help identify suspicious activities, anomalies, or situations where the data is of too low of a quality to analyze.

2) Facial detection is important. Several flagging events rely heavily on facial detection technology. If the face cannot be detected in the video, it isn't possible to determine if the test taker is "missing" or "different". If a student's face is turned away from the webcam or heavily cropped in the video (e.g. you can only see the student's eyes and forehead), facial detection rates will drop. Other things that affect facial detection rates are baseball caps, backlighting, very low lighting, hands on the face, and certain eye glasses.

3) There are more "false positives" than "true positives." Flags that rely on facial detection technology are often incorrect (known as a false positive). If a student is flagged as "missing" but he/she is still visible in the frame, this would be considered a false positive. A "true positive" is a suspicious behavior that is correctly identified by the flagging system. Our goal is to reduce the false positive flags as much as possible, without missing the "true positive" events. It's not a perfect science — yet.

4) Garbage in, garbage out. You can achieve immediate improvement with automated flags that rely on facial detection by having students produce better videos. Provide these simple guidelines to students to help them create higher quality videos so the flagging system works better.

• Avoid wearing baseball caps or hats that extend beyond the forehead
• If using a notebook computer, place it on a firm surface like a desk or table, not your lap.
• If the webcam is built into the screen, avoid making screen adjustments after the exam starts. A common mistake is to push the screen back, resulting in only the top portion of the face being recorded.
• Don't lie down on a couch or bed while taking an exam. There is a greater chance you'll move out of the video frame or change your relative position to the webcam.
• Don't take an exam in a dark room. If the details of your face don't show clearly during the webcam check, the automated video analysis is more likely to flag you as missing.
• Avoid backlighting situations, such as sitting with your back to a window. The general rule is to have light in front of your face, not behind your head.
• Select a distraction-free environment for the exam. Televisions and other people in the room can draw your attention away from the screen. Other people that come into view of the webcam may also trigger flags by the automated system.

5) Continual improvements. Respondus Monitor is the most advanced system for automated exam proctoring. The goal is to provide "meaningful results," not simply a list of flagged events that require instructors to analyze everything themselves. Respondus Monitor is continually being enhanced, so instructors can focus on teaching, not analyzing the videos of exam sessions.

        Video Tutorial: Reviewing Respondus Monitor Videos for Instructors

The "Show Your Work" feature allows students to upload hi-resolution images of worksheets they've prepared during their exam. If this setting is enabled by the instructor, the student will be given the opportunity to upload photos of their work immediately after they submit their exam.

Instructor Experience
The instructor will first need to require "Respondus Monitor" as the proctoring option for the exam, then enable the "Show Your Work" setting under the "Advanced Settings" area.

If desired, the instructor can edit the default text that students will see when they encounter the "Show Your Work" page. To do this, click the "Edit Text" link.

It is also recommended that the instructor enable the "Additional Instructions" step in the startup sequence, and edit the message to include an explanation of the "Show Your Work" requirement, including any specific requirements that the instructor may have. This will alert students to the requirement before they begin the exam.

Reviewing the Images            

The submitted images will be available to the instructor in the "class results" section of the LockDown Browser Dashboard tool, next to the photo and video thumbnails. 

Frequently Asked Questions            

Q. Is “Show Your Work” available for exams not using Respondus Monitor, or exams using “Instructor Live Proctoring?”

A. Respondus Monitor must be enabled for the exam in order for the “Show Your Work” feature to be available.

Q.  A student did not take all the necessary photos of their work before they exited the “Show Your Work” interface. Can they return to the “Show Your Work” interface and submit additional photos?

A. No, all photos must be submitted by the student before they exit.

Q. The student claims photos were uploaded using the "Show Your Work" interface, but I cannot find those images in the "class results" section of the LockDown Browser Dashboard tool.

A. If photos were successfully uploaded, the thumbnails for those photos will appear above the thumbnails of the student's face and ID. But if they are not present, this means no photos of the student's work were successfully uploaded to our servers.

Q. Is the student being recorded during the process of uploading photos via the "Show Your Work" interface?

A. The video recording ceases once the exam is submitted. This releases the webcam to be used for the "Show Your Work" interface, if enabled by the instructor for the exam.

Q. Is it possible to upload a file from the student's computer?

A. "Show Your Work" cannot access files on the computer. It can only be used to take photos of whatever the webcam is pointed at.

This option records the student's computer screen during an assessment.

1. Instructors can enable the Screen Recording option for tests that require Respondus Monitor on a per exam basis.

2. The screen recording video for an exam session initially appears below the webcam video in the proctoring results.

3. Click (or touch) the screen recording video to make it the primary, playback window. The rows of thumbnail images that appear below also switch to the screen recording view. Repeat this process to make the webcam video the primary focus again.

Additional notes:

• Screen recording is only available for exams that use both LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor.
• Screen recording is supported for Windows, Mac and Chromebook. There are currently no plans to offer screen recording for iPad users.
  • Enabling screen recording (Chromebook)
  • Enabling screen recording (Mac)

macOS 10.13 to 10.15 guide: https://respondus.knowledgeowl.com/home/macos-1015-catalina-screen-recording-permission-manual

macOS 11 or 12 guide: https://respondus.knowledgeowl.com/home/macos-11-12-big-sur-or-monterey-screen-recording-permission

macOS 13+ guide: https://respondus.knowledgeowl.com/home/macos-13-ventura-and-newer-screen-recording-permission

• Institutions with managed devices will need to use LockDown Browser version 2.1.1.00 or later. Students won’t be able to access the exam if the screen recording option is enabled but the LockDown Browser version isn’t current.

Respondus Monitor is an automated proctoring system that uses webcam and video analytics to prevent cheating during remote, online exams. The testing tools in Pearson MyLab offer seamless integration with the Respondus Monitor proctoring system.

Setting up the Integration            

To use Respondus Monitor with your Pearson MyLab course: 

1. Navigate to the course settings and locate Learning Aids and Test Options, select Use automated proctoring in this course, and then Respondus Monitor Proctoring.

2. MyLab will then prompt you to Complete the Respondus Monitor Proctoring license setup, which is a one-time process (see below).

The following is the licensing options for using Respondus Monitor with a Pearson MyLab course. 

Link to your institution's existing Respondus Monitor license:

3. To link to a MyLab course to your institution’s Respondus Monitor license, the instructor needs to log into the  Canvas course  and click Lockdown Browser.

4. Choose the Other Systems tab.

5. Expand the section for Pearson MyLab and copy the code shown (the code is unique for each instructor).

6. Return to the MyLab course and use Enter Code to complete the linking (see above).

Video Tutorial: Respondus Monitor for Pearson MyLab

Respondus Monitor is an automated proctoring system that uses webcam and video analytics to prevent cheating during remote, online exams. Respondus Monitor integrates seamlessly with the ALEKS and ALEKS Placement, Preparation and Learning (ALEKS PPL) solutions by McGraw Hill.

Setting up the Integration            

Link to Alamo Colleges Respondus Monitor license

To link to Alamo Colleges Respondus Monitor to the ALEKS system, ask your McGraw Hill Implementation Manager to set this up. Once completed, ALEKS will draw seats from Alamo Colleges Respondus Monitor license. Administrator reporting for Respondus Monitor will show distinct seat usage by ALEKS or ALEKS PPL. 

Frequently Asked Questions            

Q. What devices are supported?

A. Respondus Monitor for McGraw-Hill ALEKS works with Windows, macOS and iPad.

Q. Where do students get technical support?

A. If technical assistance is needed with Respondus Monitor, 24/7 Live Chat support is available to students, right from the application.

It’s hard to keep up with latest features of Respondus Monitor, much less the ones that have been around for years. Here’s a checklist that highlights both the old and new

Operating Systems & Devices            

• Windows 
• macOS 
• Chromebook 
• iPad 

Launches from any major browser            

• Chrome 
• Firefox 
• Edge 
• Safari 

LockDown Browser            

• Quick, one-time install 
• Prevents cheating on the device itself 
• More stable and secure than “locked browser plugins” 

Partner Integrations            

• Canvas Classic Quizzes
• Canvas New Quizzes s 
• McGraw Hill ALEKS (HE Edition)
• McGraw Hill ALEKS (PPL Edition) 
• Pearson MyLab 

Security and Privacy            

• Privacy by Design
• SOC 2 Certified
• GDPR, CCPA, FERPA 
• AWS Certified engineers 

Student Support            

• 24/7 Live Chat support for students 
•  Help Center & troubleshooting knowledge base
•  Ticket-based support  

Instructor Trainings (all free)            

• Weekly training webinars
• Office Hours, A 15-minute, personal appointment with a Respondus trainer
•  Lunch and Learn training for your department/institution 
•  In-app training resources  

One Technology, Lots of Flexibility            

• Classrooms (in-person, online exams)
• Testing Centers
• Remote Exams with automated proctoring
• Remote Exams with Zoom/Teams/Meet/etc.
• Hybrid Classrooms (some students in class, others remote) 

Accessibility            

• WCAG 2.1 Level AA and Section 508 complaint
• Third-party audit every six months
• Integration with leading assistive technology tools