Finals Preparation: Lockdown Browser & Room Check Strategy

April 25, 2022

Lockdown Browser and Room Check Strategies

Lockdown Browser

As we prepare for final examinations Clemson Online wants to remind you about Lockdown Browser and to provide a best practice if you need your learners to remotely demonstrate that their exam space is free from notes.

Lockdown Browser, in a nutshell, allows you to maintain academic integrity through its own browser (like Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.) where learners cannot open other websites, copy information from a test, print the test, or even open a separate application (such as a Word document full of notes) while taking the test.

Lockdown Browser is easy to use and it is easy to customize what is and what is not available. If you need your students to utilize specific websites as they complete their exams, you can customize Lockdown Browser to allow those sites.

Download the current version of Lockdown Browser, faculty guides, and student guides here.

Room Check Strategies

If you are remotely and synchronously administering your final exam with Lockdown Browser, you will likely require that your students prove their workspace is free from any materials that may unfairly give them an advantage over their peers. Having learners move their cameras around to prove they do not have any materials tacked on the wall behind the computer or laying on the ground.

This could be especially helpful if you decide to incorporate Monitor into your academic integrity process.

Design a detailed and specific checklist of what needs to be shown on camera. Here are some guidelines to consider as you make your checklist.

Exact instructions on what you want them to capture on camera. Leave as little room for interpretation as possible.
- Ask yourself these questions: Do you want them to show the back wall behind their computer? Do you want them to show the floor at their feet? Do you want them to show that their arms and the sleeves of their clothes are not concealing any notes, whether written or taped?
- Tell them exactly what you want to see and avoid vague language.
Explain to them why you are having them do this.
- It is not just because “cheating is bad” it is because maintaining academic integrity means ensuring that their degree from Clemson or that this course’s value is not damaged.
Describe what will happen if they fail to follow these directions.
- In no uncertain terms, it should be very clear with plain language what the point penalty will be if they fail to follow these directions.
Leave room for understanding.
- Under the best of circumstances and with the best intentions, students may still fail to follow your directions. We recommend trying to get to the bottom of this by talking with your students as soon as possible and using your best judgment about how to support them. There will always be students who attempt to cheat the system it is equally as true that there will always be students who try to do the right thing and who accidentally do not follow the directions.

Upcoming Live Training

Summer Prep Series! This is the final live training program for Spring 2022. Be sure to stop by so you can learn, ask questions, and easily get a copy of the session recordings for when you are ready to prep for your summer courses.

4/27 – Workshop Wednesday: Camtasia and Zoom

Continuing our Summer Prep Series, this Workshop Wednesday focuses on the pedagogy behind the effective use of the video tools Camtasia and Zoom. As you look ahead to developing your summer courses, consider stopping by to learn about how effective use of these tools creates a positive impact on your learner’s experience and chances for success in your class. Short demonstrations will be available in the workshop and we will have two experts there to answer questions you may have.

Facilitated by Clemson Online’s Digital Learning Strategist, James Butler and Learning Technology Specialist, Axel Ruiz.

Faculty Resources

Canvas Training

Click the COFFEE logo to easily sign-up for either a directed* or a self-directed COFFEE course where you can learn the basics of Canvas or Canvas-related topics such as accessibility checking and video use.

Teaching Online Resources

Click the logo, to self-enroll in this Canvas site where you will have access to Canvas quick start guides for online teaching, online testing resources, and much more!

Check out the Clemson Online Faculty Resources page to peruse a host of additional faculty resources for online teaching and beyond.

Canvas and Teaching Online Support

Schedule a Consultation. Whether you would like guidance on how to use online learning tools or you would like guidance on best online teaching practices, you can meet with one of our expert staff who is ready to assist you when it fits your schedule.