Access external websites in LockDown Browser
By default, Respondus LockDown Browser restricts access to external web content while a student is taking a Brightspace quiz. However, instructors can allow access to external websites in LockDown Browser as needed. Grant access to a single page or an entire site.
Allow access to a single page
If your students need access to a specific webpage during a Brightspace quiz while using Respondus Lockdown Browser (LDB), include a link to that page anywhere within the quiz. LDB allows them to select that link and visit that specific page. All links and navigation from that page are blocked.
Allow access to an entire site
Students can be given access to entire sites during the LockDown Browser quiz. Granting access to an entire site is a two-step process: you must list the site or sites that are allowed and then link to them within the quiz.
List allowed sites
- Select Quizzes from the Assessments menu
- Select the LockDown Browser tab
- Select the arrow to the left of the quiz name and select Settings
- Expand the advanced settings by selecting the plus "+" to the left of Advanced Settings (See A in the figure below)
- Select the checkbox to the left of Allow access to specific external web domains (See B)
- Enter or paste the desired web domains in the box provided, separated by commas (See C)
- Scroll down and select the Save + Close button
Insert links in the quiz to the allowed sites
You grant access to an allowed site by including a link to the first page your students should visit within the quiz. You can include the link within any question in the quiz. When the link is selected, the site will be loaded in a new tab in the browser. Once the site is loaded by the student, it will remain available until the student closes the tab. If you wish your students to have access to a site for the entire quiz duration, add the link in the first question.
Helpful tips
- When adding access to an entire site, be sure to specify that the links "open in a new window or tab" and not in the same window.
- Be sure to enter only the domain part of the URL. For example, use "www.winona.edu", not "https://www.winona.edu."
- You may need to do some legwork before you include some sites. For example, if you are including a publisher's ebook, there may be several domain names that are required for full access to the text. You can determine this by talking to the owner of the site (in this example, the publisher of the ebook) or by going through the process of accessing the parts of the site that are needed and watching the address in the URL field of the browser to get the full list of domain names. The DomainSpotter Chrome extension can help you do this.
- Do not include Brightspace as a site that can be visited. It will cause errors to occur within the quiz.
More wiki articles
- Brightspace Quizzes basics checklist
- Set quiz accommodations in the Classlist
- Secure online assessment
- Proctor LockDown Browser quiz in Zoom
- Access external websites in LockDown Browser
- Manage Brightspace tests and quizzes
- Updating Quiz Attempts to Gradebook
- Respondus Monitor For Students
- Respondus Monitor
- Quizzes in Brightspace - Student View
External links
- Respondus' support article on accessing external web domains in LockDown Browser
- Using the DomainSpotter Chrome extension with LDB
- Official Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitor support site
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