Prevent cheating in online exams
Respondus Lockdown Browser, or LockDown Browser, is a premium browser for curbing cheating in online classes in over a hundred schools. With this educational app, students are more likely to dedicate more time to reviewing their lessons and come in well-prepared for any online examination.
Moreover, its integration with Blackboard, Canvas, Moodle, Schoology, and the like solidifies LockDown Browser’s reputation as one of the best anti-cheating tools for learning management systems (LMS). Thanks to its two-month free trial, educational institutions can explore its features before finally investing in its annual license.
Stops various cheating methods
Although cheating is a form of academic dishonesty, online learning environments are a breeding ground for student to cheat due to easy access to the internet and lack of monitoring Fortunately, schools can reduce cases of cheating in online classes with the help of Respondus Lockdown Browser, a program that locks a student’s computer — preventing them from accessing websites and capturing screenshots.
On top of limiting browser actions to “Forward,” “Back,” “Stop,” and “Refresh,” the program also disables other forms of cheating, including task switching, right-clicking, screen recording, and screen-sharing. Moreover, the software makes it impossible for students to perform remote desktop access or use virtual machines to accomplish digital examinations. Since exams are locked in full-screen, learners are forced to rely on their knowledge of the topic at hand.
Despite the software’s ability to re-instill the value of academic honesty and integrity, its steep price is nothing to scoff at. This is because the cost of the annual license is based on the number of students in the school. However, institutions with more than 40,000 students will need to request a quote from Respondus. As for technical issues, do expect some occasional crashes.
Superior security compared to browser extensions
Respondus Lockdown Browser goes far beyond what standard "locked browser" extensions can offer. As a native application, it integrates directly with the operating system, granting advanced control over security measures. While extensions may block some browser functions, they often fail to prevent remote desktop access, screen sharing, or screencasting, leaving exams vulnerable to cheating.
Additionally, many extensions cannot block background applications that could record and share exam content or prevent exploits like programmable mouse buttons, browser cache manipulation, and JavaScript injection. This application also thwarts task-switching hacks and other advanced exploits, providing a comprehensive and tamper-proof solution for proctored exams.
A software that promotes academic integrity
Overall, Respondus Lockdown Browser is an excellent tool for maintaining academic integrity in online assessments. With its ability to disable a wide range of cheating methods — including screen sharing and remote access — students are obligated to exert more effort in their studies, so they don’t resort to dishonesty to get ahead in class. However, the costly license fee may intimidate educational institutions.
