What, exactly, is "planned" here? When can we expect this? Thanks!

Respondus was purchased by Formative and they are offering a trial if you have formative also.

This is absolutely necessary.

We need a way to ensure text integrity while administering online tests. A student taking an online test should not have access to any other web page.

In response to Angela the request isn't to lock down the computer but to create or allow integration with a browser that helps deter cheating or looking up of answers. We want to make it a bit harder and for students to understand that because we have a locked browser in place we are being serious. We do know that if a child is at home taking a test they can still look up the answers on the phone or another person in the room expecially if they are not being proctored. Part of a good testing environment the students would need to be monitored, the device they are using would need to be locked down and stripped and the browser they are using needs to be locked.

The integrity at home isn't the request, it's the ability to have a deterance in place. In school, the testing environment and computer are more controlled and monitored which then, with a locked browser, would increase the integrity of the answers and also add to deter the student.

Please look into third party integrations per our request.

@Angela Addison, were you able to do some testing with Respondus and/or Exam.net?

@Stephen Borish I looked into exam.net and had a couple questions if you're using this tool if we can get in touch directly shoot me an email thanks!

Thank you guys for the continued input! @Jimmy Cudzilo, I know Respondus supports LTI as do we, I'm wondering since you have an account if we can do some testing together or you would feel comfortable letting me play in your environment to test some things out. If you would email me angela.addison@blackbaud.com. I did inquire on their SDK page on their pricing and subscription model, have not heard back yet. But for some providers if you don't need a custom embedded solution and can just get the LTI running for being able to launch and authenticate we can make that work without engaging as an official partner and building anything special out. So I'd be happy to see if I can get it working in that sense if you're willing to assist with me with access to your instance. Beyond that if they require a paid subscription just for straight up LTI I'd have to raise that up the chain here for how the powers that be would want to handle as far as absorbing the cost or pass through. @Stephen Borish I will look into Exam.net thanks!

Hi Angela, Exam.net is owned by Teachiq AB, based in Danderyd, Sweden. It allows students to take assessments via their own browser and is compatible with most major platforms/devices. It does not require any additional software to download and is very easy to navigate. Also, Exam.net can be used together with Google meet or Google Hangouts.

I wouldn't expect Blackbaud to specifically develop a browser, but I would like the system to play nicely with those browsers on the market.

The #1 issue that I had when I originally looked at this some time ago was that the Blackbaud SIS doesn't play nicely with the tools that are out there. Time, and time again, I would configure a site-specific-browser in one of these platforms, only to attempt to log in for an online assessment and receive an error from Blackbaud indicating that the browser was not compatible with the SIS.

That end-user experience introduces fear and anxiety for some test takers and I know I would have more than a handful of students exit and not complete the test just because of that error message from Blackbaud. I also would never knowingly roll out a testing solution with error messages displaying, as that is most definitely not an example of excellence for our students and parents.

I haven't invested the time again to try on all the systems out there again to see if BB is playing nicely with those lock down browsers, but that would be a win for us at our school. It would be nice to see Blackbaud's name on the list of supported platforms on a page like this one for Respondus (https://web.respondus.com/he/lockdownbrowser/pricing/) so we know that we won't run into error messages as we are about to launch a test.

I believe what we are requesting is an integration effort with a third party option that is already available as opposed to a full over hall. If there are options available for us to utilize, why wouldn't Blackbaud make an effort to allow schools to integrate. This is becoming a MUST HAVE for our school. Our honor code will cover the utilizing of other devices with remote learners, parent involvement, etc... It's very similar to how you blackout the screen for teachers gradebook when she is sharing her view with parents. https://web.respondus.com/he/lockdownbrowser/

Angela. Pearson has a product called Math XL that does what you just described below. It is an application installed on the computer that their site can trigger. it would be worth you all looking into. I very much understand the struggle with remote learners with cheating. Not all schools are 100% remote currently and this would help all in some way. Thank you

Hi all! We have investigated this and there are a couple of factors here. On a technical side, I'm told that apps that can control your browser activity have to be installed apps because they have to have the ability to take over your OS. You would need to be able to not only lock down the browser but prevent other apps from being open or visible - i.e. I typed all the answers in Word and I want to launch that doc to read my notes. Or message my friend and ask what they said. We're not an installed app of course, so don't have a way to control other things on the client system. I'm relying on feedback from architecture here, if you find anyone that's doing this just with a web app definitely let me know. The other thing that's more of a subjective or philosophical consideration from my point of view is browser lock down without proctoring especially in an online learning environment (perhaps a little more useful in an on-prem environment where a teacher could be monitoring students physically) is that it's probable kids at home have their phone, tablets etc. sitting there next to them. So even if you locked down the browser and other apps on the device they're logged in on, they can be looking up the info. or messaging someone else. It's a false sense of security without the proctoring piece which requires again that you take over the system and force camera functionality, that there is someone on the other end watching, or that you build in recording functionality so that a proctor can review asynchronously. All of those mechanisms mentioned would require a complete overhaul of how our app is delivered I think.

A browser lockdown would be especially beneficial at this point with remove learners. To prevent switching tabs or opening 2 browser sessions would mean the WORLD right now.

This would be especially helpful right now. Seeing since this post was from 2016, and it is now 2020 I am guessing Blackbaud on-engineers did not find value in this. 2020 OOPS! guess what with the global pandemic forcing users to look at this again.

This would be extremely helpful right now in light of COVID 19 and virtual learning!

Respondus seems to be standard for other systems... please make this integration happen.

We have been tasked with looking for something as well.  A quick search found "RESPONDUS" dot com, where they blazenly show integration with Blackboard, Canvas, Moodle, etc.......   Let's get this topic in focus!

Feeling like this has been around for a while but did not get the traction.  So putting it out there again...

Our faculty is still wondering if there will be an ability for OnCampus to offer a lockdown browser like Respondus for the tests that they are creating online.  

We had been using Safe Exam Browser which is integrated with PowerSchool/Haiku. Any online assessment that needs to be given in a secure environment cannot be done without some kind of browser lockdown. I am going to have to go back to paper and/or Scantron forms for my assessments since changing to OnCampus. This is a step backwards for us. This needs to be address very soon. I will not recommend (in fact, I will discourage) OnCampus to any school as a suitable LMS without some sort of secure method to give assessments. Had I known this option was not available, I would have fought against its adoption in the first place.