Teaching & Learning Tools

OpenEd's Teaching & Learning Technologies team provides training and support towards pedagogically appropriate educational technology implementations, both in the classroom and online. Successful technology integration is reliant on good tools that address the instructional goals and/or challenges of the course.

There are a vast number of educational technologies available. Browse our list of teaching and learning tools below for more details.

As always, you are welcome to book a consultation or register for a training session to learn more.

CourseLink Tools

CourseLink is used for on-campus, distance education, and other online learning opportunities at the University of Guelph and University of Guelph-Humber. This learning management system offers a variety of tools to streamline your teaching experience. Browse the list below for some of the more commonly-used CourseLink tools and their functions.

Announcements

Announcements is a great way to communicate and engage with students outside of class time; however, it is important to remember that students will only see an announcement if they access your course site or if they have opted to receive notifications via email or text. With that in mind, it is best not to rely on the Announcements tool for any communication that all students should receive in a timely fashion. For such communications, it would be best to email the entire class via the Classlist tool.

Be careful not to overuse the Announcements tool. Student accounts in CourseLink are set to receive email notifications for new announcements from all their course sites by default. If you are posting multiple announcements several times a day, students may become frustrated by the volume of emails and block your course site from their notifications.

Here's a list of suggested ways to use the Announcements tool:

Introductory Message - Consider creating a video note announcement to introduce yourself and your course to your students. You may also wish to craft an announcement to introduce the content and expectations for each week of the class.
Reminders - It can be beneficial to post announcements concerning important dates, such as assignment due dates, the live lecture schedule, virtual office hours, etc. Announcements can also be paired with Release Conditions to send targeted reminders to students (i.e., reminding students to complete a quiz).
Encouragement - An announcement can be a great way to let the class know when you are impressed by their work; similarly, if you notice that the majority of the class is struggling with a specific concept or theory (after grading an assessment), an announcement can be a great way to direct students to supplemental materials to reinforce those concepts.
Making Connections to Current Events - In some disciplines, current events can often intersect nicely with course materials and provide students with a real-world example of how the material they are studying can be applied in real-world situations. Creating an announcement to provide some context as well as a link to a news article or video can be a great way to engage students and encourage critical thinking.

Learn more about the Announcements tool on the OpenEd Documentation & Support website.

Classlist

You can use the Courselink Classlist tool to manage information about students and send email messages to one, several, or all Classlist members at once. You can find the Classlist tool within the Course Admin tab.

When emailing multiple class members, email addresses are added to the BCC field. Keep them there so that individual users aren’t identified when sharing sensitive information.

Here are ways to use the Classlist tool:

Immediate communication - Sending out an email to the entire classlist is a good way to get time-sensitive information out to your students, such as a change in schedule or an update on an assessment.
Monitor student progress - While the classlist is often used to send emails, it also allows you to see how students are progressing through the course content and identify students who may be falling behind.

Email your students using the CourseLink Classlist tool.

Learn more about the Classlist tool on the OpenEd Documentation & Support website.

Content

The Content tool is used to access course materials, complete required activities, and monitor completion progress on topics contained within each course module. This tool is one of the links found on the default navigation bar of each CourseLink course site and can be accessed directly from that link.

The Content tool allows you to post and organize course content so the course syllabus, lecture notes, important dates, and information about course expectations are clearly displayed to users.

Course Content can include documents, images, media files, URL links, and activities (e.g., discussions, quizzes, surveys, self assessments, and Dropbox folders). You can add release conditions, grade items, and learning objectives for topics to ensure users navigate through course materials while fulfilling specific course requirements and learning expectations.

You can also monitor class and user progress as students work through course content. Completion tracking allows you to determine how content topics are set as “complete” (set automatically by the system or manually by the student). You can track these results on a student-by-student and class basis by viewing user progress and class progress in the User Progress tool.

Learn more about the Content tool on the OpenEd Documentation & Support website.

Discussions

Discussions are the heart of many online courses. This versatile communication method can be used to build connections with and between students, answer common questions students have about the course, function as a space for collaboration, and serve as an assessment tool.

Ideas for using Discussions include:

“Getting to Know You” forums - Build a class community by encouraging students to participate in a forum where they get to know their classmates. If your class is large, consider dividing the class into smaller groups, especially if they will be participating in other group discussions together later in the class.
Question and Answer (Q & A) Forum - Consider creating a Q & A forum within Discussions for students to ask the instructional team questions. This can cut down on emails and allow you to respond to common questions once, and in a place that all students can access.

Learn more about the Discussions tool on the OpenEd Documentation & Support website.

Dropbox

Students use the Dropbox tool to upload and submit assignments to CourseLink, eliminating the need to mail, fax, or email their work.

You can use the Dropbox tool to see student submission times, download Dropbox submission folders, view submissions on the Evaluate Submission page, associate Dropbox submission folders to grade items/rubrics, and return submissions with grades and feedback.

In the Folder Submissions area, you can view submissions and submission dates, eliminating the need to collect assignments and making it easy to track when files were submitted.

You can create categories to group and organize assignment submission folders. You can also restrict access to assignment submission folders by date and time, group membership, or use special access permissions.

The Dropbox tool is one of the links found on the default navigation bar of your CourseLink course site and can be accessed directly from that link.

Learn more about the Dropbox tool on the OpenEd Documentation & Support website.

Grades

Use the Grades tool in your course to share grades with students for various assessments, calculate class averages, and provide feedback. You can set up a gradebook that reflects your own approach to evaluation where you can control the grading formula used to calculate grades, how grade items are associated with other tools, when grades are released to users and what information they see.

The Grades tool is one of the links found on the default navigation bar of your CourseLink course site and can be accessed directly from that link.

Learn more about the Grades tool on the OpenEd Documentation & Support website.

Groups

Create group work areas for users with the Groups tool. You can use Groups to organize users’ work on projects and assignments.

Users can belong to multiple groups within the same course; for example, each user can simultaneously belong to a group for class projects, a group for special interest discussions, and a group for advanced users. Each group can have its own Discussion forums, Dropbox folders, and Locker area to work within. You can grade members of groups individually or as a team.

The Groups tool is one of the links found on the default navigation bar of your CourseLink course site and can be accessed directly from that link.

Learn more about the Groups tool on the OpenEd Documentation & Support website.

Intelligent Agents

Intelligent Agents (IAs) is a tool in CourseLink that be very powerful for communication in a remote delivery setting. IA will automatically scan CourseLink for user-defined criteria. If this criterion is met, the intelligent agent sends an email to pre-defined addresses to alert them. This can be accomplished by using the email address in question or by utilizing replace strings. Intelligent agents work well with release conditions, but also use some unique criteria.

Suggested uses for IA include:

Checking in with students - Using Intelligent Agents, you can send automated emails to students who meet specific criteria. Consider setting up an agent to check in with students who have not accessed your course site during the first week of classes.
Midterm Results - Send targeted emails based on performance on an assessment, like a midterm.

Learn more about the Intelligent Agents tool on the OpenEd Documentation & Support website.

Quizzes

The Quizzes tool enables you to create and manage points-measured assessments. As part of your quantifiable assessment procedures, you can use quizzes to help evaluate student learning progress and learning outcomes. Quizzes also provide students with feedback on their learning progress. They can take a quiz, review their results, and see class statistics for a quiz.

Create and manage quiz questions from the Question Library or the Quizzes tool, and organize quizzes into categories to make it easier to find assessments with similar or related content. Use the quiz preview option to test the accuracy of content and grading before you release a quiz. In a preview, you can answer the questions, view allowed hints, submit the quiz, auto-grade answers, read feedback, and view report results.

The Quizzes tool is not one of the links found on the default navigation bar of your in-class CourseLink course site. The Quizzes tool will need to be added to your Navbar.

Learn more about the Quizzes tool on the OpenEd Documentation & Support website.

For a complete list of CourseLink tools, visit the CourseLink Documentation and Support website.

Course Outline Manager

About the Course Outline Manager

The Course Outline Manager grew from a concept and application developed by the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) and the School of Environmental Sciences (SES) to create a standardized, accessible course outline, and to link course learning outcomes to assessments within the course and out to the larger program level outcomes.

Further development has been a collaborative effort between the School of Engineering (SOE) and Open Learning and Educational Support (OpenEd). The tool has gone through a proof of concept phase and a pilot with a limited number of courses from SOE and SES. OpenEd will take on the administrative role, with a more ambitious pilot in the fall of 2017 involving OAC, SOE and CBS, as well as a handful of courses from other colleges.

General Description

The Online Course Outline tool is based on the AVPA's Course Outline Checklist. The tool allows faculty to create outlines online with a consistent format across the University. Serving as an archive for all course outlines, the tool can be referenced by departmental pages and course websites. As the archive builds, faculty are able to clone from past outlines and make updates or changes.

Connection to University Systems

The tool connects to University systems for consistent up-to-date, standardized information including:

Colleague for course information including instructors
Calendar information
LDAP for access and user information
Policy statements at different levels--University, College, Department

Tool Functionality

Tool access and functionality is based on roles including Administrator, Author, Reviewer, and Approver. The tool has a built-in process for review, commenting, approval, and publishing.There is a standardized format for course-related information, although there is room for additional information, and some department branding (logo). Course learning outcomes can be mapped to course assessments. Since the tool is database driven, the information and the relationships contained in an outline can be extracted in a consistent format for statistical analysis.

Working with the Tool

Each outline is divided into sections, with a tab for each section, where appropriate course information is entered. Some fields are populated from University systems (e.g., Colleague, LDAP); some fields have university, program, or department information; and, in most sections, custom fields are available.

Sections

Course outline sections include:

Details - calendar information about the course, pre-populated by other systems on campus
Instructional Support - instructional support staff associated with the course
Resources - learning resources that students may require while taking the course
Outcomes - learning outcomes students will have demonstrated upon successful completion of the course
Activities - teaching and learning activities that will take place in the course
Assessment - methods, breakdown and specific due dates for the course
Statements - standard statements that relate to the course and that may be required by the department, college or University
Activity Log - any activity that has occurred on the outline since it has been created
Properties - details about the outline, including currently associated authors and reviewers

Support Resources

Visit our Course Outline Manager Quick Start Guide page.

Watch our Course Outline Manager Tool video below.

Contact

If you require assistance with the Course Outline Manager or would like to make suggestions for improvement, please contact CourseLink Support.

Gradescope

Gradescope is an assessment tool with a CourseLink integration that helps instructors administer and grade their quizzes and assignments, whether they are delivered online or in-class as a traditional paper assignment.

Gradescope helps instructors grade assignments more efficiently and consistently while allowing for detailed feedback through rubric descriptions, annotations, highlighting, and comments. Gradescope’s dynamic rubrics help standardize grading, particularly in large classes where multiple graders are working together.

The following assignment types are available in Gradescope:

Bubble Sheets

A solution for delivering large numbers of multiple-choice questions for in-person on-paper quizzes or exams. Bubble sheets are scanned and uploaded to Gradescope, then matched to students using advanced text recognition. Answers are automatically graded, with uncertain marks on the bubble sheet reviewed and confirmed by the instructor through the Gradescope interface. Bubble sheets replaced Scantron as the supported assessment option for on-paper multiple choice questions at U of G beginning in the F22 semester.

Exams & Quizzes

A solution for more efficient and consistent grading of on-paper quizzes and exams. Completed tests are scanned to a PDF file by the instructor, uploaded to Gradescope, then matched to students using advanced text recognition. During the grading process, similar answers to questions can be grouped using Gradescope’s AI or manually grouped, and then graded simultaneously. Grading is done by question rather than by student, using dynamic rubrics that are shared between all graders.

Homework & Problem Sets

A solution for more efficient and consistent grading of written work submitted by students that can accommodate either templated (worksheet style) or variable length submissions. For templated assignments, similar answers to questions can be grouped using Gradescope’s AI or manually group and then graded simultaneously. Grading is performed by question using rubrics that are shared between all graders.

Online Assignments

A solution for low-stakes assignments that are delivered online rather than in-person/on-paper. Online assignments provide five different field types that can be used independently or be combined into a single question. The five field types are: Multiple Choice, Select All, Short Answer, Free Response, and File Upload. Automatic grading is available for Multiple Choice, Select All and Short Answer fields, while Gradescope’s dynamic rubrics are used to score Free Response and File Upload options.

Programming Assignments

A solution for courses where students submit code projects for assessment. Instructors can automatically grade student code with a custom written autograder and/or manually grade using the traditional Gradescope interface.

For more information on Gradescope, please visit OpenEd’s Gradescope Support for Instructors page.

PEAR

PEAR (Peer Evaluation, Assessment and Review) is an online peer review application developed by OpenEd at the University of Guelph. This tool assists instructors in facilitating the peer review process.

PEAR Log In

The Peer Review Process

In an academic setting, the peer review process is employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility. It emphasizes writing as a process of editing and revisions, while the presence of an audience motivates authors to produce a higher standard of work. Through this process, authors learn to be analytical and critical as they get the opportunity to see the calibre of writing from others at their academic level. This comparative process influences authors to re-evaluate and improve their own work.

Why Use PEAR?

The benefits of the peer review process are often overlooked due to the time, organization, resources and staff needed to make the process a smooth and successful one. This is especially true for larger class sizes. This is where PEAR comes into play. With the use of PEAR, much of the administration of a peer review project is actually facilitated and automated by the system, including:

Optional and flexible project stages
Predefined submission start, due, late and release dates
Acceptance and tracking of submissions of multiple documents and formats throughout the stages of the project
Assignment and distribution of submissions to peer reviewers (anonymously if desired) and/or instructors
Email confirmation and notifications throughout the process
User-created grading forms that can be reused and shared between projects and their stages
Allowance for group and self assessment
Grade calculation and export

Respondus

Respondus Quick Links

Respondus LockDown Browers and Monitor Quick Guide for Instructors

What is Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor?

Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor is a tool to support the invigilation requirements of final exams that are delivered via the Quizzes tool in CourseLink. Through Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor, students use their own computer and webcam to record exam sessions, all without leaving the CourseLink learning environment. The software locks the browser, captures video during the student’s exam, and then allows the course instructor to review the video when the exam is finished. The goals of using the software during the final exam are to ensure student identity and academic integrity.

Final exams are two (2) hours in length and are scheduled by the Registrar’s Office during the final exam period. There will be a one-hour entry window during which students can enter the exam. Students can enter the exam at any point during this window of time but will only have two hours to complete it from when they start writing.

Like a sit-down exam, where they must arrive prior to the start of the exam, it is highly recommended that students enter the online exam environment in Respondus at least 20-30 minutes before the end of the available window. This allows enough time for them to complete the Respondus Startup Sequence (details are given below) and ensure that they have the full two hours for the exam.

How does Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor work?

During the exam, a browser lockdown mechanism prevents students from accessing web browsers or other applications on their computer, and the camera records the student. Upon completion of the exam, the Respondus system produces a video recording of each student and flags certain videos which may contain student behaviour that could indicate academic misconduct. You are strongly advised to review all video recordings, but particularly those that have been flagged.

Before the exam, students must download and install the LockDown Browser software on their computers. When students enter the exam, the system accesses the student’s computer and its camera. Students will be prompted to complete the Respondus Startup Sequence for the webcam, which is why they have been given the one-hour window of access.

Run the Webcam Check and, if necessary, resolve any issues. The Webcam Check will confirm that the student’s webcam and microphone are working properly.
Take Your Photo and Show Your Identification. During these two steps, the student confirms his or her identity by both (a) taking a picture of themselves with their webcam, and (b) holding up a student ID card to the camera. If a student does not have a student ID card, they are advised to use other photo identification, such as a driver’s licence.
Conduct the Environment Check. Students must use either a mirror, cell phone with a front-facing camera, or an external webcam to complete this check. This step ensures the area around the student’s computer is clear of papers, books, phones, etc. They will be asked to slowly tilt/pan their webcam, so a video can be made of the area around their computer. If the student is using a laptop with a built-in camera, they must use a mirror to show the edges of their computer monitor. Students must ensure that they have recorded all 360 degrees of their environment. This includes the areas beside, behind, under, and above the computer. You are advised to pay particular attention to exam videos in which the Environment Check was not completed fully or properly.

Should I indicate my course is using Respondus Lockdown Browser/Monitor in my outline?

It is strongly recommended that the following information be added to a course outline if Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor will be used in the course:

This course requires the use of Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor (webcam) for proctoring within CourseLink. You must download and install LockDown Browser and Monitor to complete the practice test (if provided) and course exam(s). The purpose of the practice test is to ensure that Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor is set up properly and that you are comfortable using the software.
Respondus LockDown Browser is a locked browser connected to the Quizzes tool in CourseLink. It prevents you from printing and copying, using other operating software, using search engines (e.g., going to another URL), communicating via instant messaging, and it blocks non-web-related software (e.g., Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word).
Respondus Monitor is a companion application for LockDown Browser that uses webcam and video technology to ensure academic integrity during online exams. The software captures video during the exam and allows the instructor to review the video once the exam is completed.
In order to use Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor, you must meet the technical requirements. Visit the Remote Learning website for guidance on preparing your online exam environment.
If you have any concerns about meeting system requirements, contact CourseLink Support. They will work with you to find alternative solutions or make alternative arrangements.

Practice Test

It is highly recommended that students take the Practice Test using Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor before taking the course exam. The purpose of the practice test is to ensure that Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor is set up properly, and that students are comfortable using the software. The content of the practice test is not related to the course.

By taking the practice test, students are given an opportunity to identify and troubleshoot any technical issues before writing the actual exam. It is also recommended that they complete the test using the computer that they will use for the final exam to avoid any technical and connectivity issues that might arise.

While there is no mark given for completing the practice test, this activity ensures they have a problem-free experience with the software before taking the final exam.

It is recommended that you remind students to take the practice test as many times as they need to feel comfortable with the Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor prior to the final exam.

Reviewing Respondus Monitor Videos After the Final Exam

As the Respondus system captures the entire length of a student’s exam, viewing all videos in their entirety is not recommended; however, we recommend reviewing all environmental scans to discern whether there might be concerns about academic integrity in a student’s exam setting. We strongly recommend reviewing all flagged videos to ensure academic integrity. In addition to flagged videos, we advise reviewing approximately 5-10% of the class videos, selected at random. Additionally, it is recommended to view the length of time taken by each student during the exam and view any videos of sessions that are unusually short or long.

While viewing videos, ensure the following:

The photo identification of the student is visible and properly identifies the student.
No unauthorized individuals, communication or recording devices, or testing aids are present during the exam.

To review student videos:

Go to your CourseLink site and navigate to the Quizzes tool. Select LockDown Browser.

instructional screen capture

You’ll be taken to an About LockDown Browser screen. If you wish to review any of the information about how the software works, please do so. When ready, click the orange Continue to LockDown Browser button below the video.

instructional screen capture

You will then be in your Respondus LockDown Browser Dashboard. To review the Final Exam, click the dropdown arrow beside it and select Class Results.

instructional screen capture

Videos are available for review from this Class Results dashboard. Videos are listed for review based on how many flags there are in the video (i.e., moments of unexpected behaviour). To view the details of a student’s session and to watch the flagged videos, click the + button beside a student’s surname. Details of the startup sequence and the exam session are shown in thumbnails. Click a thumbnail to view the video from the time indicated. You can mark videos as reviewed and can add comments as well.

Note: You will NOT be able to view the videos live. It can take up to 24 hours before the videos are available to review.

Suspected Misconduct

If you suspect misconduct based upon the Respondus Monitor videos, please contact the department chair for your program to discuss the circumstance before discussing the incident with the student. For many students, this may be the first time that they have taken a proctored online exam and they would benefit from learning how to better prepare and manage their time and test taking environment during the final exam.

Technical Issues

If you or your students have any questions regarding the use of Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor or if you encounter any technical issues during the practice test or final exam, please email CourseLink Support or phone them at 519-824-4120 ext. 56939 or 1-866-275-1478 (US/CAN).

Students should be instructed to write down the contact information for CourseLink Support BEFORE they start any exam using CourseLink's Quizzes tool. If the quiz is using LockDown Browser and students experience technical difficulty, they will not be able to access the support website. Having the contact information at hand will expedite access to support in the event of technical difficulties.

It is strongly recommended that students call for assistance with any issue that is preventing them from completing their quiz, rather than emailing (provided the quiz is delivered during CourseLink Support’s hours of operation).

More student information on preparing for/completing a quiz using Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor is available on our Taking a Practice Quiz or Exam with Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor page. We encourage instructors using LockDown Browser and Monitor to post a link to this information on their course sites for students via Content or Announcements.

References

Educause. (2016). 7 things you should know about remote proctoring. Retrieved from https://library.educause.edu/~/media/files/library/2016/5/eli7133.pdf

Respondus. (2017). LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor. Retrieved from https://www.respondus.com/downloads/RLDB-Quick-Start-Guide-Brightspace-Instructor.pdf

Respondus LockDown Browser for Online Exams

What is the Respondus LockDown Browser?

LockDown Browser is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment in the learning management system (CourseLink). When a CourseLink quiz is set up to use the LockDown Browser and Monitor, a student is prevented from performing any other action on their computer while they complete their exam.

Enable Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor

1. From the Quizzes tool dashboard, select LockDown Browser.

instructional screen capture

2. All your quizzes for the course will be listed here. Select the dropdown next to the assessment for which you want to enable LockDown Browser and/or Respondus Monitor and select Settings.

instructional screen capture

3. From the LockDown Browser Settings, select Require Respondus LockDown Browser for this exam.

4. You may wish to enable the on-screen calculator, if your exam requires one.

instructional screen capture

5. If you want to require the Respondus Monitor on your exam, select Require Respondus Monitor for this exam.

Note: The Respondus Monitor tool is dependent on having the LockDown Browser enabled.

6. You may wish to review and modify the default Environment Check options.

Note: The environment check notifies students prior to starting their Respondus enabled quiz to show the camera their location to ensure academic integrity. You may want to specify additional requirements (i.e., that they are able to have blank paper, a crib sheet, or any other tools they can use during the examination). This information can be provided by editing the text within the environment check.

instructional screen capture

7. Select Save + Close to save your settings and return to the Quizzes dashboard. Your quiz title will be amended to indicate which tools are required to attempt it.

Note: We recommend that you have students do a practice exam with the LockDown Browser and Monitor enabled. For more information on importing and setting up a practice exam, please see the Practice Test for Respondus LockDown Browser resource.

Before Starting an Exam

Taking a Practice Quiz or Exam with Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor

Instructions

Before taking both the practice test and online final exam, complete the following steps:

As a student, you should write down the contact information for CourseLink Support BEFORE you begin a quiz attempt. If the quiz is using Respondus LockDown Browser and you experience technical difficulty, you will not be able to access the support website. If the quiz is using both LockDown Browser and Monitor, please present the support contact information you have written down as part of your Environment Check. If the quiz is being delivered during CourseLink Support’s hours of operation, it is strongly recommended that you call for assistance with any issue that is preventing you from completing your quiz rather than emailing.
Close all programs, unless one is used to connect you to the Internet.
Start LockDown Browser.
Log into CourseLink, select your course, and navigate to the practice test/final exam by selecting Quizzes from the Tools dropdown menu.
If prompted, either close a blocked program (e.g., screen capture, instant messaging) by choosing Yes. Or, close LockDown Browser and close the blocked program before restarting.

Once you select the practice test/final exam link, you will be prompted to complete the Startup Sequence for the webcam that occurs before the test begins:

Run the Webcam Check and, if necessary, resolve any issues. The Webcam Check will confirm that your webcam and microphone are working properly. The first time the Webcam Check is performed on a computer, Adobe Flash Player will require you to select Allow and Remember.
Take Your Photo. Look into the camera and position your face so it fills most of the picture window. Select 'Take Picture'.
Show Your Identification. Hold your student ID card to the camera and select 'Take Picture'. If you do not have a student identification card, use other photo identification such as a driver’s licence.
Conduct the Environment Check. A mirror or cell phone with a front-facing camera is required to complete this check if you do not have an external webcam. Make sure the area around your computer is clear of papers, books, phones, etc. Select 'Start Recording' and slowly tilt/pan your webcam so a video can be made of the area around your computer. If using a mirror, hold the reflective side facing your computer up to your webcam (an arm’s length away) and slowly show the edges of your computer monitor to your webcam. If using a cell phone with front-facing camera, hold the screen side facing your computer up to your webcam (an arm’s length away) and use it to show the edges of your computer monitor. Ensure that you have recorded all 360 degrees of your environment. This includes the areas beside, behind, under and above your computer. Select 'Stop Recording' when finished. Once the environment check is complete, be sure to put your cell phone away from your exam area (i.e. in your pocket or in a drawer). Incomplete Environment Checks may be flagged for review by the instructor. For an example of an effective Environment Check, view Environment Check Tutorial.

Additional Instructions

During the exam, do not access other resources (a phone, tablet, notes, books, etc.) or communicate with other people.
Please stay in your seat and focus on the computer screen until the exam is complete. If an interruption occurs, briefly explain what happened by speaking directly to your webcam.
In the event that you need a bathroom break during the exam, indicate in the recording the reason for leaving the room. Please note that you will not be given additional testing time and your video will be flagged for review by the instructor. You are not permitted to take any materials with you to the bathroom or access any resources (textbooks, notes, internet, people, etc.) during this time.
If you encounter a problem during the Startup Sequence, select the ‘It’s not working’ link for troubleshooting tips.
The practice test/final exam will begin after the Startup Sequence is complete. Note that once the test/final exam has been started with Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor, you cannot exit until the Submit button is

Problems?

If you encounter technical difficulties downloading or installing, or any other problems taking the practice test/final exam with Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor (e.g., your computer freezes during the test or the software fails to work, etc.), email CourseLink Support or phone 519- 824-4120 ext. 56939 or 1-866-275-1478 (toll-free in Canada and US).