The high school locks down on Respondus

This fall, students across the high school are encountering a new program for online assessments: Respondus.

Respondus LockDown Browser is a specialized software tool that allows schools and teachers to securely deliver online exams. The application locks a student’s browser within a learning management system — like Canvas — preventing students from copying text or viewing other websites during an exam. 

The high school expanded its use of Respondus this fall, making the software available to teachers and students schoolwide. Despite its recent schoolwide launch, however, Respondus is not new. Three years ago, the application was introduced through a pilot program that allowed English and Social Studies teachers to opt into a trial period. 

Ms. Christine Kerr, an English teacher at the high school, was one teacher who opted into the pilot program. 

“I was an early adopter of Respondus,” said Kerr. “For me, academic integrity became a major concern, so when the central office proposed a pilot for Respondus, I immediately opted in and have been using it for tests ever since.”

While concerns surrounding academic integrity are not new, Kerr has observed that access to technology has made violations easier. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI), for instance, has raised concerns about the authenticity of student work. To address this problem, many teachers have adopted Turnitin, a tool that checks writing for copied text and AI-generated content — though the program often returns false positives. 

Concerns surrounding academic integrity are also affecting the classroom atmosphere.

“It doesn’t feel great as a teacher to be having all these conversations about whether a student’s been dishonest or not,” Kerr said. “During online tests, it also doesn’t feel great for students to feel that their teacher is watching them constantly.”

With Respondus, however, teachers instead can circulate to answer questions without feeling the need to monitor students for misconduct.

Jackie Hoglund, the high school’s instructional technology specialist, identified other reasons for adopting the technology. Beyond academic integrity, Respondus was adopted to promote greater consistency and equity across test environments.

“We wanted to make sure every student gets the exact same testing environment. Most colleges use similar software now, so giving students experience with this tool helps prepare them for the technology they’ll encounter post-graduation,” Hoglund said. 

In addition to equity, Respondus allows teachers to preserve the advantages of digital testing. Administering tests online promotes sustainability, allowing teachers to save paper, while also providing students with instant feedback. Respondus also supports accessibility tools, including text-to-speech, screen readers, and keyboard shortcuts, ensuring an equitable yet secure testing environment for all students. 

Respondus has also posed challenges, however.

“It takes a long time to turn on for each us and sometimes it doesn’t turn on at all so the tech deck has come and provide a new laptop for someone to use. I understand the reasoning behind using it, but I wonder if there are better ways of cutting down on cheating,” said Lila Welburn ’27. 

Due to these challenges, teachers have taken alternative routes in response to digital testing. Some teachers have returned to pen-and-paper assessments, while others have redesigned assessments as open-ended projects. 

As teachers continue to explore approaches, the high school’s response to changing technology is an ongoing discussion.

“I know that we have not hit upon the solution,” said Kerr. “This is going to be something that we talk about for years to come.”