Checklist for Success So Your Exams Are Easy to Monitor

What’s covered on this webpage?

WCJC Considers Academic Honesty and Monitoring of Online Tests to Be Important. 1

This Instructor Considers Academic Honesty and Monitoring of Online Tests to Be Important. 1

Other Instructors Consider This Important and I Will Apply the Stiff Penalties They Suggest. 1

It’s Important But Trying to Make It Easier for You. 2

It’s Important But Trying to Make the Points Match the Tasks. 2

It’s Important and Trying to Make Sure You Realize You Have to Do This. 2

What to You Need to Do Now.. 2

Preparation You Do Only 1 Time. 2

Preparation You Do Each Time You Take an Exam.. 3

3 Checklists of What Is Required When You Take an Exam in This Class. 3

1st: The Checklist for Before You Click on LockDown Browser. 3

2nd: Checklist for After You Click on LockDown Browser and Begin the Respondus Startup Sequence. 4

3rd:Checklist for After You Begin the Test. 4

What If? – Other Questions You May Have That Are in Testing Using Respondus Monitor. 4

 

WCJC Considers Academic Honesty and Monitoring of Online Tests to Be Important

WCJC requires—as it should—that instructors include WCJC’s Academic Honesty in Online Courses statement in the course. The requirement for LockDown Browser with a webcam (Respondus Monitor) is way to reinforce honesty. To speak personally, I take my responsibility to WCJC seriously so I will be looking carefully at those videos of each of you taking each test.

This Instructor Considers Academic Honesty and Monitoring of Online Tests to Be Important

There is also another reason that I take this seriously. The habits that students practice are who they become. If somehow a few of you got used to cheating, the greatest wrong is the damage that you have done to yourself. In the real world where you must make a living, you will not be ready to get or—what’s harder--keep a good job.

Other Instructors Consider This Important and I Will Apply the Stiff Penalties They Suggest

In a training presentation on how to do monitoring of online tests, these were the recommended penalties from an experienced instructor. I have used quotation marks when I used her words. If for example, if—after we complete Getting Started and you have had a chance to figure this out--someone took an exam and the review of the videos showed one of these problems, then I would expect that person to face this penalty.

 

If You Do One of These Things

The Penalty Is

0 for the Exam

30 percentage points

Do  an “incomplete or insufficient scan of the testing environment”

 

X

Do not have “enough lighting for the instructor to access the testing environment.

 

X

Do not have the microphone “recording throughout the entire exam”

 

X

Have “incorrect webcam placement” where it does not show your face and hands throughout the test

 

X

Have “music or audio recordings playing during exams”

0

 

Have “unauthorized materials … near the testing area”

0

 

Leave the “webcam view during an exam for any reason”

0

 

Talk with “anyone for any reason during the exam.”

0

 

It’s Important But Trying to Make It Easier for You

Stopping cheating matters, but this seems to me to be a lot to do. What have I tried to do to make this easier for you:

·         There is a lot of information already in Testing Using Respondus Monitor so in this link I have told you were to go and what to use in what order.

·         I have also made checklists for you in this link. Donald Norman’s research has pointed how checklists can make things easier. They are kind of ugly looking but they work!

·         I made these checklists in a file so you can print them on 1 page so you can use this sheet quickly.

It’s Important But Trying to Make the Points Match the Tasks

If you follow the instructions exactly to do the Sample Respondus Exam so that your instructor can easily monitor your test-taking, then you earn 30 points:

·         5 points for the questions on the sample exam itself

·         5 points each for Self-Management with the sample exam, Unit 1 Exam, Unit 2 Exam, Unit 3 Exam, and the Final Exam.
How to you earn the Self-Management points? You follow the instructions and the checklists below. After you believe you have done the Sample Respondus Exam correctly, you send me an email in Blackboard Messages saying that you did everything in the checklists and you would like for me to check the video of your taking the test.

It’s Important and Trying to Make Sure You Realize You Have to Do This

Students will not be able to see the current exam:

·          If they have not successfully completed this part of Getting Started

·          If they do not meet the requirements on an exam and do not respond to my email about that. (If they never respond they will have the penalty covered in the third heading.

What to You Need to Do Now

This is the time to get it straight. First, do the steps below. Second, use the checklists so you know exactly what to do.

Do not worry:

·         On the Sample Respondus Exam, if something goes wrong that you realize, do not worry. Just fix the problem and retake the exam. It has unlimited retakes.

·         If you do something wrong on the Sample Respondus Exam that you do not realize, I will give you feedback. You then retake it so we both know you understand how to succeed when you take a real exam.
I will be glad to talk with you by phone or face to face.

Preparation You Do Only 1 Time

For this preparation, use the Testing Using Respondus Monitor link in the folder and look for each of these headings.

 

Heading to Look For

What You Do with the Information Under That Heading

1

About LockDown Browser

Read the section of information carefully.

Tip: Watch the video. It is very useful in understand how this works. This is simpler than written words make it sound.

2

Download and Install LockDown Browser

Also look at this subheading within the section: Computer Requirements

Follow the instructions carefully. To do this installation successfully, you must:

·         Compare your computer with the listed Computer Requirements to be sure you can install LockDown Browser.

·         Download only from these instructions and not another college’s version.

·         Be able to change the computer. (You must have administrative rights).

·         Notice how the Lockdown Browser shortcut looks on your desktop.

3

Using LockDown Browser

Before you start to take the Sample Respondus Exam, read the list of things you will be unable to do once you start the test so you are not surprised.

 

Preparation You Do Each Time You Take an Exam

 

Heading to Look For

What You Do with the Information Under That Heading

1

Using LockDown Browser-The preparations are at the ending of the section.

Before you start LockDown Browser, do the preparations listed in that section. Those preparations and others are in the required checklist below.

 

2

Using LockDown Browser – The steps are at the beginning of the section.

Follow the 6 steps to start the Sample Respondus exam. These steps will be the same with all of the exams in this course—Unit 1 Exam, Unit 2 Exam, Unit 3 Exam, and the Final Exam.

 

Once you are in the exam, you cannot leave it until you click Submit.

 

Using Respondus Monitor –Look at this subheading within the section: Respondus Monitor Startup Sequence

Notice the actions for these 2 tasks in the sequence:

·         Respond to the Terms of Use

·         Do the Webcam check.

·         For the additional tasks in the sequence for this class, look below for the 2nd: Checklist for After You Click on LockDown Browser and Begin the Respondus Startup Sequence.

 

Depending on your computer, you may have to download a Flash update.

3

--

 

If you encounter a problem during the Startup Sequence, select the “It’s not working” link for troubleshooting tips.

 

3 Checklists of What Is Required When You Take an Exam in This Class

You must do each thing. For some people, it helps to print checklists and put a √ mark beside each thing as you do it.

1st: The Checklist for Before You Click on LockDown Browser

Before I clicked on LockDown Browser, I did each of these things

 

Make sure your webcam is plugged in or enabled before you start LockDown Browser.

 

Test to be sure you can move your webcam enough to take a panoramic view of your area as a whole.

What does Merriam Webster Online Dictionary say the word panoramic means? “an unobstructed or complete view of an area in every direction.”

 

Test to be sure the microphone is able to record.

 

Make sure there are no other people in the room and everyone knows not to come in the room. Place a sign on your door saying you are taking a test.

If you are taking the exam in a public area, such as a WCJC computer lab, say that during your startup sequence.

 

Remove everything from your desk or anywhere near your desk.

 

Turn off any phone or any other device and remove them from your computer area.

 

Turn off music or any other sounds in the room until the exam is over.

 

Turn on lighting so your instructor can see you and your work area. Anything other kind of lighting will not work.

 

Do not wear a hat or dark glasses or anything else that would hide your appearance.

 

Do wear clothes. You are being recorded throughout the test.

 

Find a clear, recognizable photo of yourself. Your face on the Webcam, your photo, and your Photo ID must match.

 

Have ready your Photo ID. Your name on the Photo ID must match your name in the course. You may cover over your Driver’s License number, but leave everything else uncovered.

If you propose to use a different ID than your driver’s license, email me in Blackboard Messages as soon as possible.

2nd: Checklist for After You Click on LockDown Browser and Begin the Respondus Startup Sequence

When I did the Respondus Startup Sequence, I did each of these things. With this sequence, Respondus will prompt you for each action.

 

WebCam Check – Respondus will confirm that the WebCam is working OK.

 

Student Photo – Place the clear, recognizable photo so it fills the entire webcam frame.

 

Show ID -Place the Driver’s License so it fills the entire webcam frame.

 

Environmental Check – Move the webcam so you show a slow, panoramic view of your desk, your computer, and the surrounding work area. Tip: This is key to this kind of detailed job. Make sure you noticed how you did this so—if the view is good enough for me to see on the Sample Respondus Exam—you can do this again.

 

Make sure the WebCam is focused on your face and your hands and keep it there throughout the exam.

 

Make sure the microphone is on and recording throughout the exam.

 

If an interruption occurs, briefly explain what happened by speaking directly to your WebCam.

3rd:Checklist for After You Begin the Test

After I began the test, I did each of these things until I clicked Submit.

 

Keep your eyes on the computer screen until you click Submit.

 

Keep your face visible.

 

Keep your hands on the keyboard until you click Submit. Your hands should not move anywhere else.

 

Stay at your desk until you click Submit. Do not get up.

 

If an interruption occurs, briefly explain what happened by speaking directly to your webcam.

What If? – Other Questions You May Have That Are in Testing Using Respondus Monitor

For these questions, use the Testing Using Respondus Monitor link in the folder and look for each of these headings.

What If?

Heading to Look For

You need to take exams at a place other than your home

Respondus LockDown & WCJC Open Computer Labs – Look at the subheading Please note.

You need to take exams on other devices

LockDown Browser on Other Devices Labs – Look at the subheadings for the types of devices.
There are instructions for the Apple iPad. Make sure you notify me if you need actions from my side. If you need to have You must use it with a stand with a keyboard.

 


 

 

Copyright C. J. Bibus, Ed.D. 2017

 

WCJC Department:

History – Dr. Bibus

Contact Information:

281.239.1577 or bibusc@wcjc.edu

Last Updated:

2017

WCJC Home:

http://www.wcjc.edu/