Respondus in Blackboard Ultra: What Faculty Need to Know

🧩 Respondus Functionality Updates in Blackboard Ultra

Summary:
Respondus LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor are available in Blackboard Ultra. Students still need to install LockDown Browser on their device, but the launch experience in Ultra is different from what many faculty may remember from Original. After any course copy or migration into Ultra, instructors should review each exam in the LockDown Browser Dashboard before students begin. Respondus 4.0 Test Generator is not officially supported for Blackboard Ultra courses.

🔎 What changed in Blackboard Ultra?

Students still need to have Respondus LockDown Browser installed on their computer or iPad before taking an exam that requires it. That part has not changed. What has changed in Ultra is the launch workflow: students now begin in Blackboard Ultra using a standard browser, open the exam, click Start Attempt, and LockDown Browser launches from there. If LockDown Browser is not installed yet, they are prompted to install it.

✅ What has not changed

• Students still need the LockDown Browser application installed on their device before taking a LockDown Browser exam. If they do not have it installed already, they will automatically be prompted to install it on their device: https://download.respondus.com/lockdown/download.php?id=573738902
• If you use the webcam/video proctoring option, that is still handled through Respondus Monitor.
• Faculty should continue using Respondus only for exams where the added security is truly needed.

🆕 What is different in Ultra

In Blackboard Ultra, the student workflow is now:

1. Log in to Blackboard using a standard browser such as Chrome (recommended) FireFox (recommended), Edge or Safari.
2. Open the course and navigate to the exam.
3. Click "Start Attempt".
4. If the exam requires LockDown Browser, it launches from there.
5. If LockDown Browser is not already installed, the student is prompted to download and install it.

This means students should not be told that they no longer need LockDown Browser. They still need it installed; Ultra simply changes how the exam is launched.

📢 Instructor Action Required: Migrating Respondus Exams from Original to Ultra

Please follow these steps for each copied Respondus exam:

🔄 Open the LockDown Browser Dashboard

1. In your Blackboard Ultra course, select Books & Tools.
2. Locate Respondus LockDown Browser and select it to open the LockDown Browser Dashboard.

3. When the LockDown Browser Dashboard opens, you will see the following message:
   “Your Settings Have Been Updated! Copied courses require instructors to access the LockDown Browser dashboard before exams can be taken by students. You just did that, so you’re all set!”
   This message confirms that you have successfully accessed the LockDown Browser Dashboard for the copied course.

   
4. Click the X to close the “Your Settings Have Been Updated!” message.
5. Once the message is closed, locate your copied exam in the LockDown Browser Dashboard and review the LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor settings to make sure they are configured as intended.

🚫 Check the native Ultra Access Code setting

1. In your Blackboard Ultra course, locate and open the copied proctored exam.
2. Select the Settings icon to open the exam’s Assessment Settings.
3. Under Assessment Security, locate the Access Code setting.
4. If Access Code is turned on and displays a code that you did not intentionally create, toggle Access Code required off and then click Save.

5. A confirmation message will appear stating:
   “Students will no longer need an access code to open the assessment.”
   Click Continue to confirm that you want to remove the access code.

   
6. You will be returned to the exam’s Assessment Settings. Click Save again to save the updated settings and complete the removal of the access code.

🛠️ Use “Fix It” if it appears
If the LockDown Browser Dashboard displays a Fix It option for an exam, click it and then recheck the exam settings.

Best practice

After any course copy or migration, always review:

• the LockDown Browser Dashboard
• the exam’s Assessment Settings in Ultra
• any Access Code, availability, or webcam/Monitor settings

Do not assume copied Respondus settings are ready for student use without review.
 

🎥 Respondus Monitor (webcam/video)

If you plan to use the webcam/video component, make sure Respondus Monitor is enabled for the exam in the LockDown Browser Dashboard. Schools using Blackboard Ultra generally treat Monitor as a separate option faculty enable within the Dashboard, rather than assuming it is automatically part of every LockDown Browser exam.

🔗 Student download link

Students should use CCRI’s Respondus LockDown Browser download link:

https://download.respondus.com/lockdown/download.php?id=573738902

Respondus uses institution-specific download links tied to the school’s ID.

💬 Suggested student messaging

You can paste the following into your syllabus, exam instructions, or course announcements:

Respondus LockDown Browser Requirement
This exam requires Respondus LockDown Browser. You must have LockDown Browser installed on your computer or iPad before taking the exam.

To begin, log in to Blackboard in your regular web browser, open the exam, and click Start Attempt. LockDown Browser will launch from there. If it is not already installed, you will be prompted to download and install it.

Download LockDown Browser here:https://www.respondus.com/lockdown/download.php?id=573738902

If using webcam/video:

This exam also requires Respondus Monitor. Be sure your webcam is working and allow enough time before the exam to complete any startup checks.

📣 Suggested faculty reminder to students

Before an exam, consider posting a brief course announcement such as:

If your upcoming exam uses Respondus LockDown Browser, please make sure it is installed on your device before the exam. In Blackboard Ultra, you will start the exam from within Blackboard by clicking "Start Attempt", and LockDown Browser will launch from there. If it is not installed, you will be prompted to install it.

🛠 Best practices for faculty

• Review every Respondus-enabled exam in the LockDown Browser Dashboard after any course copy or migration.
• Do a quick test of the exam settings before students begin.
• If using Respondus Monitor, verify webcam settings separately.
• Do not rely on Respondus 4.0 Test Generator as a normal Blackboard Ultra workflow.

⚠️Respondus 4.0 Test Generator 

Respondus 4.0 is not officially supported for use with Blackboard Ultra courses. Although limited publishing to Ultra may work in some cases, Respondus notes that retrieval is not supported. For that reason, faculty should not plan to use Respondus 4.0 as a regular exam-authoring or management workflow in Ultra. Support for Blackboard Learn Ultra

📚 Related resources

Respondus official articles

• How do I install LockDown Browser?
• Support for Blackboard Learn Ultra
• LockDown Browser Resources
• LockDown Browser: The Student Experience
• Manual import of Respondus files into Blackboard Ultra

Examples from other Blackboard Ultra institutions

• UConn: LockDown Browser in Ultra Course View (Faculty)
• UConn: Downloading and Installing LockDown Browser in HuskyCT
• UConn: Accessing and Completing a Test in LockDown Browser (Student Support)
• SIUE: Blackboard Ultra (Faculty) – Respondus Monitor