Recommendation against using Zoom with LockDown Browser for invigilation

April 13, 2021 at 4:53 pm

In response to recent UBC Senate motions that restricted the use of remote proctoring tools, the LT Hub developed documentation on alternative invigilation methods for remote exams. One option involved using both Zoom and LockDown Browser — a web browser that ‘locks down’ what students can open or access from their computer during an exam — together.

Based on recent technical issues, we now recommend against using these tools together for invigilation.

Why we recommend against using Zoom with LockDown Browser for invigilation

Zoom and LockDown Browser were not designed to be used together. Using them together is a workaround solution and requires that instructors configuring the exam and students taking it follow instructions precisely and in a particular order. These requirements make it likely that both instructors and students will run into serious technical challenges during the exam.

Additionally, since March, a high number of UBC students have reported difficulty accessing Zoom sessions through LockDown Browser, even when following the instructions correctly. Some students were not able to resolve their issues during the exam time. We have not yet identified the source of these errors.

Get exam invigilation support

Based on these issues, as well as similar feedback from Instructional Support Units, we have removed instructions for using Zoom and LockDown Browser together from the LT Hub and Keep Teaching websites.

We recognize that some instructors may have already designed their final exam around this method of invigilation, and it may not be possible to make a change. For those exams, please reach out to us in the LT Hub for support.

UBC faculty looking for support with exams and assessments can also request individual consultation time with learning designers from the UBCV Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology or the UBCO Centre for Teaching and Learning.

Posted in LockDown Browser News, Zoom News