Respondus LockDown Browser

Respondus LockDown Browser is a piece of proprietary online testing software developed by Respondus, Inc, and used by departments, including the Department of Engineering Education. Success in running under Wine varies from version to version, and may involve complex installation procedures, and the software actively prevents itself from running in a virtual machine.

Official Description

From the Product page:

LockDown Browser® is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment within Blackboard, ANGEL, Brightspace by D2L, Canvas, Moodle, and Sakai. When students use LockDown Browser they are unable to print, copy, go to another URL, or access other applications. When an assessment is started, students are locked into it until they submit it for grading. Available for Windows, Mac and iOS.

Features Bugs

• Integrates with Blackboard, ANGEL, Brightspace by D2L, Canvas, Moodle, and Sakai
• Assessments are displayed full-screen and cannot be minimized
• Assessments cannot be exited until submitted by users for grading

• Task switching or access to other applications is prevented
• Print, Print Screen and capturing functions are disabled
• Copying and pasting anything to and from an assessment is prohibited
• Screen capture, messaging, screen-sharing, virtual machine, and network monitoring applications are blocked from running
• Right-click menu options and function keys are disabled
• Browser menu and toolbar options are disabled, except for Back, Forward, Refresh and Stop

• Source code for the HTML page cannot be viewed
• The browser automatically starts at the login page for the institution’s learning management system
• URLs cannot be typed by the user
• External links don’t compromise the locked testing environment
• Pages from the assessment are not stored on the computer after exiting

• Assessments that are set up for use with LockDown Browser cannot be accessed with other browsers
• Localized for multiple languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese
• Available for both Windows and Mac computers, as well as iPad