FAQ for Students
We have developed our FAQ for Students page based on feedback and questions from students about the remote learning environment.
If you are unable to find an answer to your question, either on this page or on any other page within our Remote Teaching & Learning site, please contact us at CourseLink Support.
Accessibility
| Are live captions required for live classroom broadcasts? |
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Live captions are not required; however, alternative formats may be requested as needed. You can use tools such as Otter.AI to transcribe live lectures. |
| I have a poor Internet connection. Will accommodations be made to help me? |
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If you anticipate issues with your Internet connection, reach out to your course instructors to have a conversation about ways in which this can be accommodated. Accommodations will be on a course-by-course and case-by-case basis at the discretion of your instructors. |
Assessment
| Will we have to consider setting time aside on deadlines for uploading files? |
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If you are submitting a large file and/or have a slower Internet connection, you should allow additional time to upload files to the CourseLink Dropbox. A file is only considered submitted to the Dropbox once the upload is complete and the final 'Submit' button is clicked. At that point, a submission receipt will be displayed. If you encounter any issues while uploading a file, please reach out to CourseLink Support. |
Privacy
| Does the University have a policy on privacy and recording virtual lectures? |
| The University has a Privacy & Recording Virtual Lectures policy in accordance with Ontario's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. |
Quizzing
| When taking a quiz, am I allowed to have the CourseLink Support number written on a blank piece of paper in case something happens during the exam? |
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In some cases, instructors may allow you to have a blank piece of paper for rough work during an online examination. This page could have the CourseLink Support information on it for reference. This piece of paper would need to be shown during the environment check, if the assessment is being invigilated using Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor. |
| If the WiFi cuts out in the middle of an online exam or quiz and doesn't reconnect, what action should be taken? |
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Please ensure you are taking your online exam or quiz from as strong an Internet connection as possible. If you have a wireless router, consider connecting it to your computer via a wired connection for the duration of the exam. If a wired connection is not possible, the next best option is to write the exam in a location where the WiFi signal from your router is as strong as possible; however, even in the best scenario, it is possible that your connection to the Internet could fail. When that happens, it's important to create a record of your issue with CourseLink Support and alert your instructor to the issue. Contact CourseLink Support immediately and copy your course instructor with the following details:
How to proceed once your WiFi connection is restored is at the discretion of your instructor. |
| My roommate and I are both in the same class and taking a quiz, midterm or final exam online at the same time. We will be in different rooms, but is this going to cause an Internet connection problem for us? |
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Having two quizzes completed at the same time from the same Internet connection is unlikely to cause an issue, unless the Internet connection is poor due to low bandwidth. It is recommended that you consult the technical requirements for more information on recommended internet speeds and perform a speed test on your internet connection. If you are in a rural location and know that bandwidth can be an issue for general Internet use, then you both should reach out to your instructor to explain the situation to see if a solution can be deployed at your instructor's discretion. |
Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor
| Why is the University of Guelph using Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor? |
| Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor is being used to provide the University with the ability to invigilate exams and assessments remotely. This decision is aligned with the University's commitment to keep its community safe, including students, faculty and staff. |
| Who has access to Respondus Monitor video and audio recordings at U of G? |
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Access to the recordings is limited to the course instructor, teaching assistants, designated U of G staff, and individuals responsible for reviewing and making decisions on academic misconduct cases. Respondus personnel does not review/analyze the recordings except as required to resolve technical problems, improve system performance, modify Respondus Monitor, and investigate violations of Terms. |
| What information does Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor collect about students? |
| The use of Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor will require individual student activity to be recorded, both audibly and visually, during specific assessment sessions. Information captured includes student ID, behaviour during the assessment, and time taken to complete the assessment. |
| Are third parties able to access my personal information from Respondus Monitor recordings? |
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The University of Guelph and Respondus will not share or disclose personal information from Respondus Monitor recordings unless necessary to comply with the law, a regulation, or a governmental request. University of Guelph student recordings will not be used for research purposes. |
| Who should I contact if I experience technical difficulties with Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor? |
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If you experience a technical issue in an assessment that uses Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor, it is important to create a record of your issue with CourseLink Support and alert your instructor of the issue. Contact CourseLink Support by phone, if possible, for urgent matters. A ticket will be logged, and the support team will attempt to correct the issue. Please write down CourseLink Support's information BEFORE you start an assessment, as you will not be able to access the support website if you experience technical difficulty while using Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor. If you email CourseLink Support, please be sure to include the following:
Your instructor will inform you and CourseLink Support on how to proceed once your technical issue has been resolved. It is highly recommended that you take the Respondus-enabled practice quiz on your course website to you confirm that Respondus LockDown Monitor and Browser functions properly on your device. |
| How might the information collected in Respondus Monitor be used? |
| The information collected by Respondus Monitor may be used to confirm a student's identity and behaviours during an assessment. The information gathered from this tool does not determine academic misconduct. Instructors use a variety of information when deciding on whether there has been an academic offence committed. |
| What if I need to leave the room unexpectedly while writing an assessment invigilated using Respondus Monitor and LockDown Browser? |
| The University understands that there may be unanticipated events during an assessment, such as the need to leave the room. It is important that you respond to these events by stating that you need to leave the environment, similar to how you would in a face-to-face invigilated environment. |
| What are the technical requirements for Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor? |
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