Many people are wondering whether there’s an attempt to cheat during the online exam, even if they’re using the LockDown Browser. You may also think that taking an online exam will provide greater opportunities for students to cheat. But, it doesn’t occur with the use of Respondus LockDown Browser. Why?
However, the Respondus LockDown Browser offers a great feature which will detect the eye movement or body movement which leads to cheating attempts by the students. So, what is the great feature of LockDown Browser that can detect eye movement?
LockDown Browser Eye-Tracking Feature
A great feature of Respondus LockDown Browser which is able to detect eye-movement is a Respondus Monitor. Furthermore, this is a webcam feature that will record the user’s movements including eye movement, head movement, hand movement and any suspicious movement.
Then, if the students lean and turn towards something which is located far from the screen suspiciously, it will be automatically interpreted as an attempt to cheat. Moreover, any suspicious movements which cannot be viewed with a webcam, that’s also considered as an attempt to cheat.
To avoid suspecting you cheated during the online exams, your head must face the screen of your computer, as the Respondus LockDown Browser has already limited the minimization of the assessment tab or also the window.
Regarding the webcam feature, there are a number of things which are considered by LockDown Browser’s algorithm and the instructor of detecting the attempt to cheat. The main thing is the position and physical movements of the students.
The students have to remain to sit in their position during the testing session. If they move away from the screen, certainly the browser will detect it automatically and red flags it as an attempt for cheating. Then, if the students shift their head continuously to face away from the webcam’ field of view, they will be considered cheating.
Furthermore, the same case also applies to the eye-movement. In this case, the student’s eyes must be fixed to the screen. Sure, any eye movements which are directed away from the monitor are red flags which will be interpreted as cheating.
You may already know that the microphone will record your audio, voices or also sounds within the testing environment. Why? The reason is that the students probably have someone within their vicinity, but away from the monitor field who is helping them for cheating.
LockDown Browser Features to Detect Eye Movement
One of the main features that the LockDown Browser has is that when you launch it. After launching this secure browser, all the assessments will be shown in full-screen mode and the window cannot be minimized.
In other words, they cannot exit the assessment until completing and submitting their work for grading. With the minimization of the assessment, it means that the students are restricted to access other apps or switch of assessment.
In case of using the browser, the options of toolbar and browser menu are also turned off, except stop, refresh, back and forward options. Certainly, the function keys and right-click menu are also disabled. Aside from that, the LockDown browser also disables the capturing, print screen or also print functions.
The Respondus LockDown Browser also forbids copying and pasting any materials to and from the assessment. Moreover, this secure browser also blocks screen-sharing, messaging, screen capture, virtual machine and network monitoring. Keep in mind, your assessment which has been set up to run on the LockDown browser cannot be accessed by using the other browsers.
Certainly, those restrictions will prevent the students from cheating during online assessments.
How Does The LockDown Browser Detects Cheating?
As a great, secure browser, the Respondus LockDown Browser really works to prevent students from cheating during their assessment. There are some efforts that this browser run to detect cheating, here are they:
- The assessment’s environment
When the students are taking an online test, the environment must be private and silent. Any voices and sounds are restricted within the testing environments. It does mean that coughing, sneezing, or also adjusting the seating position are forbidden. The forbidden sounds or voices here do not belong to the students.
If any sounds or voices are detected on the microphone, it’s considered that there’s another person attending near the students and may be helping them to cheat. If the students take an online test in a noisy environment, it will be interpreted as an attempt to cheat, as the webcam and microphone do not work properly.
- Detecting any computer activities
The Respondus LockDown Browser will also detect an attempt to cheat, based on the main features of the browser which restrict some main function of your computer. As the assessments are shown in full-screen mode, so it cannot be minimized or exited. So, it will prevent the students from opening other apps for cheating.
- Detecting cheating prospects
In fact, during their proctored exams, some students have found any hacks to go around them, so they are able to cheat, though screen-sharing, messaging, virtual machines, screen capture and network monitoring apps have been restricted.
Of course, if some students find a way to get around the restrictions set by LockDown Browser, then a webcam feature will help the browser and instructor to detect cheating. Sure, a webcam applies to record all activity performed by the user. If there is suspicious activity, the webcam will detect it and be considered cheating.
From this, we really know that this is proof that Respondus LockDown Browser has done a great job of covering a variety of loopholes that the students use to cheat during online assessments or tests.
Thanks to its effectiveness and efficiency to provide great performance to prevent the students from cheating, the Respondus LockDown Browser has been applied to a number of universities, schools, or also courses.
The point is, the Respondus LockDown browser basically prevents an attempt to cheat during an online exam or assessments. Even though this program uses great and excellent features, the chance to cheat might happen in the future. So, please avoid it to not happen as much as possible.
