How can I create ‘in-class’ tests using LockDown Browser?

LockDown Browser® (LDB) is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment within a Moodle Quiz. 

When a student takes a quiz:

• Browser menu and toolbar options are removed, except for Back, Forward, Refresh and Stop
• Prevents access to other applications including email, messaging, search engines.
• Printing and screen capture functions are disabled
• Copying and pasting anything to or from an assessment is prevented

Typically, an ‘in-class’ test will take place in a computer room on campus and the quiz must be launched from the Chrome browser.

If your ‘in-class’ test requires students to write an essay or report then you simply set up your Moodle quiz with a single ‘Essay’ type question. But you can also create traditional quizzes with multiple choice and short answer questions.

The following instructions explain how to set up a ‘single essay question’ quiz.

Create the quiz activity

1. Go to your Moodle course and Turn editing on.
2. Go to the section where you would like to add the quiz and click ‘Add and activity or resource’.
3. Select the ‘Quiz’ activity and give your quiz a name. 
4. Expand the ‘Timing’ section. Enable the quiz opening and closing times and set the start and end date and times. 
5. Make sure ‘When time expires‘ is set to ‘Open attempts are submitted automatically‘.

6. Expand the ‘Grade‘ section and set ‘Attempts allowed‘ to ‘1‘.
7. Expand ‘Review options‘ and uncheck all options.
8. At the bottom of the page, click ‘Save and display‘.

Add an ‘Essay’ question to the quiz

1. Click ‘Edit quiz‘.
2. On the right, click ‘Add‘ > ‘a new question‘.
3. Select ‘Essay‘ and click ‘Add‘.
4. Give the essay question a name and enter the question text.

4. Scroll down and click ‘Save changes‘.
5. Change ‘Maximum grade‘ to ‘100‘ and click ‘Save‘.
6. Click the edit icon next to ‘Maximum mark‘, type in ‘100‘ and press Enter.

Add the LockDown browser block to your course

1. Return to the course home page.
2. From the Navigation drawer on the left scroll down and click ‘Add a block‘.
3. Select ‘Respondus LockDown Browser’. The block should appear on the right side of your course.

Configure your quiz to use LDB

1. From the ‘Respondus LockDown Browser’ block click ‘Dashboard’
2. Locate the quiz you just created, click the down chevron and select ‘Settings‘.
3. Choose ‘Require Respondus LockDown Browser for this exam’.

4. Click ‘Save + Close‘.
5. LockDown Browser will now be marked as ‘Required‘ in the list.

That’s it – the set up of your LDB quiz is now complete.

Instructions for students

1. Log on to a Brookes PC.
2. The Oxford Brookes Apps page launches automatically. If you have closed this page, then you can launch it again from the ‘Apps Anywhere‘ icon on the Desktop.
3. In the ‘Search Apps‘ box (top-right) type ‘Lockdown’ to locate the ‘LockDown Browser’ app.
4. Hover over ‘LockDown Browser Respondus‘ and click ‘Launch‘. You will briefly see an Apps Anywhere window as LDB is loading in the background.
5. Now, go to your Moodle course and click on the link to the Quiz.
6. Click ‘Launch LockDown Browser‘.
7. After about 20 seconds LDB will launch.
8. Next you see a message “You must close the following program before starting LDB, Microsoft Teams (msteams.exe)…“.
9. Click ‘Close Process‘ to close Microsoft Teams.
10. Click ‘Start Quiz‘.