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Lockdown Browsers – Cheating on Demand

Today, I was testing the Respondus Lockdown browser for the central eLearning guys and girls and as comments were going back and forth on different issues, something interesting came up… students can still cheat if the are at home by calling a friend, using another computer (just think about the number of computers in the house today) or using a textbook. Thinking about this for a moment, I wondered… ok the call is a bit of a problem, but by the time the two heads decide on the one question, enough of the exam time has gone by that it’s not worth it. The other computer? The student still has to search. But what about texts?

Well, they are almost the same, but to be of any use, the student must know where the information would be found for any given question. So if they don’t know where it is, again they are wasting their time. I remember using open book or “cheat sheet” quizzes and exams when I was teaching and I always found that students did much better – but that they rarely used their aid… why?

I think in trying to know where everything is in the book, or writing out all the answers on the sheet as small as possible, the students have been tricked into studying (ah, hidden curriculum strikes again). So in the end it’s not much of a threat and if I was an instructor thinking about using LDB or something similar  – there are likely as many secure browsers out there as one would care to find – I would assure them that it is a useful tool. To ensure the security, be sure that the questions that are asked are ones that are not really “Googleable”.

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Raj

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14 responses to “Lockdown Browsers – Cheating on Demand”

  1. Edward Pollard Avatar
    Edward Pollard

    In my day, most text books were available illegitimately online. Via that means, or via some pretty crappy note taking, you can create a much smaller search domain for the context of cheating on a test. If you’ve got a nice enough cel phone you could even use it to access the data.

    Keep in mind I’m a pretty terrible cynic when it come to using eLearning tools like this, that do nothing but transform pre-existing curriculum into digital form.

    But I also despised every test I ever had to take in WebCT. I imagine things have improved since then.

    Reply
  2. Raj Avatar
    Raj

    Considering that we are from the same time as it where, I would tend to agree with you. But that there generally is a higher level of computer literacy out there in the student population, there is isn’t really the general ability to search worth a damn. I’m stereotyping, but based on the writing that is coming into the university and the very “information appliance” based nature of computing these days, those sources are generally safe. I would also assume that not all texts are online anyway (though that is changing with various “homework” applications in the social networking sites.

    I also agree with you that much of what still passes for elearning is just repackaging. It is very difficult to convince instructors to invest any time or effort into reworking course materials and creating new content. This is certainly not helped at all by the nature of the academic review process for promotions that (at least at large universities) doesn’t value the effort invested into teaching duties, only the results from dodgey metrics.

    Creating an exam that matches the only environment is also something that requires effort, so as likely as not, things are still much the same – depending on your instructor.

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  3. John Avatar
    John

    The lockdown browser is a joke. Two computers no problem. Type the question into google get a multitude of answers. Students of this time period are capable of searching the internet faster and faster. I have seen a student take an online test alotting 2 mins per question, look up every answer on google and finish with plenty of time to spare. This Lockdown browser is a minor inconvenience at best.

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  4. Raj Avatar
    Raj

    John, as I mentioned, there is nothing stopping a student from using another machine to check the answers if that is what they want to do.

    Ideally, this is a system that would be used in a lab environment, so that additional resources are more obviously limited. There is absolutely nothing that stops students from getting around it at home.

    Reply
  5. Craig Avatar
    Craig

    Lockdown browser is a joke, I am a college student and every proffessor I have ever had has never required it, until this paranoid proffessor that makes us use it. Our University uses several different versions of lockdown browser and well long story short, it works for some, others cant figure it out, and some have just basically dropped, and this isn’t an online class, its your normal class room college business class. I am a CIS major, and i have friends, and we have a few ways around it, one way is use another PC, but that becomes expensive, and bulky and annoying. I personally use Virtual PC from Microsoft, just set up a basic windows xp, install lock down browser, hit (ALT + Enter) for full screen, looks just like your regular OS but its really a guest OS, lockdown browser still “locks down” but only the guest os, setting you free to use the Host OS to google, IM, chat, skype, surf, blast music, watch lectures and all that good stuff…. so in all honesty…
    College student +1
    Lockdown Broweser 0

    Reply
    1. Raj Avatar
      Raj

      That is an interesting solution – When I was testing the system, the browser detected my virtualization right away. I fully realize that it is a fools errand to try to find a way to completely protect an assessment, but it is a quest that many instructors are on. In the end, students will get out of a class what they put in and if they feel that they need to defeat the protection they will certainly find a way to do it.

      Reply
  6. Kluender Avatar
    Kluender

    After taking my first exam with Lockdown, I’m infuriated. It didn’t work right, wouldn’t let me type in the text box on essay questions, and I can’t search through my notes that I took in word documents. This lead me to get a 64 on an exam, when on the previous chapter quizzes my lowest grade over the 3 chapters have been 84,88, and 92. They had the exact same questions, and I picked the exact same answers. It does it’s job, but it also messes some things up.

    Reply
    1. Raj Avatar
      Raj

      LDB is certainly the draconian way to approach things – it, and the instructor assume that everything that is not the exam/assessment is an illegal aid and should not be allowed. This is one of those classic back and forth arguments in Education around the use of supporting material – is it really cheating? The instructor certainly should have allowed some way to get your word docs to you in a manner that would have calmed their fear around cheating and allowed you access to your notes (assuming that they were allowed).

      I really wish instructors would try these things out on themselves before subjecting their students to it.

      Reply
  7. Kluender Avatar
    Kluender

    within fifteen minutes of trying this, I figured out a extremely simple way of cheating on one system while at home. If one uses RocketDock, you can set it to always on top. You can also set it to minimize windows to that tab. i thought about this after reading about programs for the disabled which have to always be on top, so I tried it with my rocketodck. Wish I would have though of this before the 64…

    Extremely easy way of cheating. Granted, the class I’m in, is ridiculous because she asks us questions where the answers aren’t found on the internet, or in the notes she gives us.

    Reply
    1. Raj Avatar
      Raj

      That is just bad teaching if the answers are not related to what is covered – though at least she is asking questions that you can’t Google, which is good. You raise an interesting point with this app though – how would they “defeat” that legitimately? And by they I mean Respondus. I know they make their app compatible with some of the assistive apps, but obviously there are some who have, or need to, slip through the cracks.

      Reply
  8. Kluender Avatar
    Kluender

    Well, it’s a completely online course.

    I don’t see a way around this, unless they block specific applications, but people could always just make more.

    Reply
  9. Ben Avatar
    Ben

    I figured a pretty easy way around Respondus Lockdown Browser. I have a program on my computer called CubeDesktop. It allows me to have up to 6 virtual desktops. While running the lockdown browser on one desktop I can hit ctrl + # (1-6) to switch to a different desktop and then run a browser. Since Respondus removed my access from the taskbar I had to make sure that the other browser icon (i.e. firefox, chrome, internet explorer) was located on the desktop. I haven’t used this to cheat and I do not intend to. I really wanna learn the material for my programming class. I just find pleasure in getting around things like this, I don’t know why. Like the time I used ophcrack to find out the passwords to the user accounts on my computer (which I already knew) or when I used a circumventor (https://www.stupidcensorship.com/cgi-bin/nph-surf.cgi) to get around the website blocking software in high school. It’s just fun to say I know how to do it. By the way, I installed CubeDesktop to make my computer more linux-esque not to get around lockdown.

    Reply
  10. M Avatar
    M

    Respondus is a joke! If a student wants to cheat, they will find a way to cheat. Respondus is nothing but a minor inconvenience for most cheaters. I am not as tech savvy as others leaving comments on this post, though I can think of numerous ways to get around “LockDown” Browser. For one, those with smart phones can effectively use web browsers on their phones. Instant messaging (AIM, Yahoo) is also featured on most phones these days. Notes and text books are always options. If i’m really serious about cheating, I could invite a friend (and his/her laptop) over during the test. Not to mention simply using another computer already in my own home. I could also call another student when they are taking their test or have them google for me if they are not taking their test. Yes, you prevent the copying of test questions via screen shots and cut and paste functions (do people really do that?), but I could always use a camera or a camera phone to take pics of the screen. I could also just relay the questions to my friend who is over while I am testing. In a home setting, there are a million ways one can still cheat while using Respondus. Personally, I don’t see how any one could honestly believe that the benefits outweigh the negatives associated with this browser. Instructors are lying to themselves if they think this prevents cheating!

    Reply
  11. Charles Avatar
    Charles

    our school has placed the lockdown browser on the computers and there is a workaround i found… at the bottom of the online course page is a link to the “Blackboard” site which offers the ability to make links to its pages. click on google bookmarks and go to google home and you have a google page open in another window…

    it is simply useless

    Reply

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