Blackboard – Respondus Monitor (Instructors)

Using the student’s webcam to record their exam session, Monitor processes the video after the exam and automatically flags behaviors that it detects as unusual. It generates a detailed report and video of each student’s session, with links to specific moments in the video that may warrant a closer look.

While Monitor can’t prevent cheating, it can act as a deterrent. Its features include:

• Review Priority – A scoring system provides instructors with data to identify exam sessions that require additional scrutiny.
• Timeline – The timeline shows events when flagged events from an exam session occurred. The instructor can then view the video from a selected point on the timeline.
• Exam Stats – Class-wide summaries of exam data are included in the instructor dashboard, such as average time spent on each question, average duration for the exam, and more.

It’s important to note that even if a student’s exam session receives a “high review priority,” it does not mean that cheating occurred. Many data points contribute to a priority rating, and some, such as an interruption in Internet service or low-quality video, are not necessarily indicators of cheating. Due to the high traffic on the network, students are more likely to experience these kinds of interruptions.

1. Create and deploy a test in your course as you would normally.
2. Go to Control Panel > Course Tools > Respondus Lockdown Browser.  If you see an “introduction” screen presented, click Continue to Lockdown Browser. You will see a list of your deployed tests.
3. Find the test you deployed in step 1 above. Click on the drop-down menu button next to the test title, and select Settings.
4. Click Require Respondus LockDown Browser for this exam.
5. Click Require Respondus Monitor for this exam.
6. Review the Startup Sequence and Facial Detection Options settings for Monitor, and un-check those you don’t need.  For example,
   1. Show ID may not be necessary.
   2. To minimize distractions during the exam, consider un-checking the box next to Notify students during the exam if face cannot be detected
7. Click the Save + Close button.

For more information on setting up Respondus Monitor:

• Respondus Quick Start Guide. (PDF)
• The Respondus Knowledge Base.

What is the difference between Lockdown Browser and Monitor?
While Lockdown Browser prevents students from accessing sites and applications such as Wikipedia and Microsoft Word, it does not offer any remote proctoring capabilities. Monitor records a video of a student while they are taking the exam, similar to how a proctor might watch over students in a physical exam space.

When do I have access to student reports?
Before this time of ubiquitous remote teaching, the average wait time was 8 hours and sometimes was as long as 24 hours. Since traffic on Respondus servers has likely increased, it’s difficult to estimate the amount of time necessary to process the reports.

Why do I see more than one attempt in my Monitor dashboard, but I only allowed one exam attempt in Bb?
Please see this support article on the Respondus Knowledge Base.

What happens if a student’s internet connection drops? What will I see in the report?
More information on how interrupted student connections appear is available from Respondus.

How do Students get help during an exam?
Students should go to this site to get help with Monitor during an exam.

Does Monitor distract students when taking the exam?
Monitor will notify students if it can’t see their faces. When setting up Monitor you can choose whether to turn off student notifications.

Consider using the following language in your syllabus:

LockDown Browser + Webcam Requirement
This course requires the use of Respondus LockDown Browser and a webcam to monitor the online exams. The LockDown browser will prevent you from accessing other websites or applications during an exam. The webcam can be the type that’s built into your computer or one that plugs in with a USB cable.

Carefully follow the steps in this article.  These will guide you through the process of:

• Installing Respondus LockDown Browser
• Testing your computer/webcam/network
• Getting help with Respondus LockDown and Monitor
• Ensuring a successful exam experience