Respondus Security (for Faculty and Staff)

In its most basic, common everyday usage, Respondus Lockdown Browser closes all applications on a computer and removes Internet access so that the user cannot refer to outside resources in a Respondus exam. At its core level, Respondus prevents the use of ChatGPT and other AI tools, however, there are still several opportunities for cheaters to cheat:

Windows

VM (Virtual Machine) - Students can set up a VM on their laptop and run an Internet-enabled environment on the VM (and thus use ChatGPT or other AI tools) and then switch back to the VM with the Respondus environment.
Desktops.exe - Students can access Desktops.exe to run applications, such as ChatGPT or other AI tools, on a remote computer. This is similar to the VM idea. The remote environment will be Internet-enabled. Students can snapshot pictures of the exam using their mobile phones or devices and an accomplice could work on the answers to questions remotely and communicate to the student using this remote environment.

Macs

Secondary User - Students can set up a secondary user account on their Macs that is Internet enabled. They can then switch between the Respondus and Internet-enabled environments and access ChatGPT or other AI tools via the secondary user account.

Other Ways to Cheat (and Solutions!)

Students can close their laptop without submitting their exam. They can then leave the room with the exam running and finish it later outside class. Recommendation: Instructors shall look at all screens before students leave to verify their exams are submitted. The instructor can also force the submission of a student exam by going into Moderate quiz and clicking on the time elapsed for the student. There will be an option to submit the exam on the student's behalf.
Students can refer to their mobile devices while taking a restroom break. Recommendation: Any student who wishes to leave the room shall place their mobile devices on the instructor's desk. This does not discount the possibility that students will access other devices that they did not bring with them to the exam. A public workstation, perhaps located outside the exam room, could be used to gain Internet access.
Students can store class notes on their mobile devices or write information on themselves in some form. Recommendation: See the previous entry for mobile device recommendation. Instructors and TAs should keep an eye on any suspicious activity in the exam room.

Respondus Monitor Will Not Save Us From Cheaters

Some professors have asked us if we will ever employ Respondus Monitor, the eye-scanning tool designed to prevent cheating in remote, online exams. The answer is no, because there exist methods to beat Respondus Monitor:

Students could position their mobile device on or below their computer screen and reference online materials without triggering Respondus Monitor.
Students could have a second computer screen right next to their primary computer screen. The second screen is connected to a computer that is online. The keyboard could toggle between both computers or even a mobile device that is online. To Respondus Monitor, it looks as if the student is accessing a single computer the entire time.
Students could take pictures of their exam on their computer screens and send it to ChatGPT for answers. So long as their eyes are looking in the right direction while secretly manipulating their mobile devices, Respondus Monitor will not detect foulplay.

What You Can Do to Mitigate Cheating

Instructors and TAs can walk around the room and look at students' laptop screens to ensure that they are looking at only the course exam in Respondus.
Have students put their mobile phones and devices away for the duration of the exam. They are only allowed to use them for two-factor (Duo Mobile) authentication.
Have students turn off their smartwatches. Some smartwatches can transmit small amounts of data on their screens. In so doing, please have our "When you are taking the test with Lockdown Browser" page (located in your course's Respondus Lockdown Browser module) open to show the time.
If you believe a student has not acted in good faith during your exam, you may wish to consult with CSA to start a case.

"Cold Calling"

A university professor uses the following solution to mitigate cheating:

"Honestly, I just have a clause in my syllabus that says that I can replace any assignment grade with a grade derived from an oral exam on that assignment. Then, I pick a couple of random exams and anyone who seems to have ChatGPT-like responses (or stuff that's too advanced for their level, or really strange responses, I have these students explain their answers. I learn a lot about a student's thought processes. In most cases where I suspect ChatGPT or Googling, they absolutely fail to explain anything. I don't imagine this would scale to classes of 80+ students, but it works pretty well for 20 students."

Words of Wisdom

"A locked door does not stop someone that really wants to get in. The best locked door is the one that doesn't need a lock. [Lockdown browsers are] a deterrent, an inconvenience, a threat that if caught, you're in [trouble], a hurdle to stop or slow the dumbest and laziest. The motivated cheaters will always find a way. In-person exams have always had cheaters as well. It is even easier today. Headphones and phones are booms for this. Being in-person is the highest form of inconvenience and hurdle, but the motivated will still get through."
-Reddit user

COMPUTING