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Honolock Tutorials

Honorlock at FHU

Freed-Hardeman University recognizes the need to validate the identity of the learner and ensure the integrity of the assessment process in digital learning environments. Student identity and assessment integrity may be facilitated through various means such as authentic assessments, presentations, portfolios, timed exams, intense writing assignments, and proctored exams.

Proctored testing is one method to enable the university to ensure the academic integrity of assessments and to comply with federal regulations that require universities offering online and distance education to verify student identity. The instructor of a distance learning course may elect to require proctored exam(s) as a means of assessment.

Freed-Hardeman University has partnered with Honorlock to help bridge the gap between student convenience and academic integrity through the use of proctored exams. Honorlock provides on-demand proctoring services for schools and universities that is designed with the student in mind. Students are now able to take an exam in the comfort of his/her home at any hour of the day and have a live virtual proctor to administer the exam at no cost to the student.

Tutorials and Resources

Refer to the guides and videos below to help you learn how to set up and review a proctored exam using Honorlock.

Training Guides
Honorlock Upcoming Webinars
Guides
Videos
10 Tips for Preparing Your Honorlock Exams
Below are the top 8 items to remember in order to ensure your success (and your students’) when using Honorlock.

  1. Honorlock Support: Honorlock’s support team is available 24/7/365 via live chat service. Encourage your students to contact Honorlock directly, via the Honorlock LTI within your respective LMS, if technical assistance is required. Students and faculty can also submit an email to support@honorlock, while faculty can still call our support team at (844) 243-2500.
  2. New Guidelines: Ensure that all of your profiles and new assessments utilize the updated guideline information included in Honorlock’s latest release.
  3. Access Codes: Honorlock automatically generates an access code for each exam, once it has been enabled for proctoring. Faculty should not delete, alter, or provide the access code to students at any point. Editing or removing the access code could prevent students from entering the assessment or it could allow them to enter the assessment without proctoring.
  4. Minimum System Requirements: Have your students run a system check from Honorlock’s support page to ensure that their device meets MSRs.
  5. Browser Guard: If students are required to access an application outside of their exam, such as Microsoft Word or Excel, Browser Guard will need to be disabled for your assessment.
  6. Allowed URLs: If you would like your students to reference a website during the exam, you have the ability to allow specific URLs. Please keep in mind, the more granular the website URL, the better control over what content is able to be accessed by your students.
  7. No Scheduling Required: Students do not need to schedule their assessment with Honorlock. The assessment will be available to them for the time period you established within Canvas.
  8. Google Chrome: Exam takers must use Google Chrome to take their assessments. Students can download it if they don’t have it installed already.
  9. Practice Exams: Faculty should enable and administer practice exams so that students are well acclimated with Honorlock prior to taking their higher-stakes exams.
  10. Student Privacy: Honorlock take student privacy very seriously. With many students transitioning from the classroom environment to online remote learning, Honorlock has made several resources available to assist with your students’ frequently asked questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why and when is online proctoring necessary?
The University recognizes the need to validate the identity of the learner and ensure the integrity of the assessment process in digital learning environments. Student identity and assessment integrity may be facilitated through various means such as authentic assessments, presentations, portfolios, timed exams, intense writing assignments, and proctored exams.

Proctored testing is one method to enable the university to ensure the academic integrity of assessments and to comply with federal regulations that require universities offering online and distance education to verify student identity. The instructor of a distance learning course may elect to require proctored exam(s) as a means of assessment. Online proctoring helps prevent academic honor violations such as:

  • Use of a false identity,
  • Unauthorized collaboration,
  • Use of unauthorized materials, and
  • Copying or distributing test items to others.

Proctored exams will be administered through the University’s approved online testing service, Honorlock, at no additional cost to the student. The student will, however, be responsible for supplying a web camera to be used during the testing process. In the event the University’s approved testing service is not applicable to meet the learner’s needs, the instructor may appoint/approve an in-person proctor in which the student will incur any associated costs. In-person proctors must be approved by the instructor and attest that there is no relation to the student by family, marriage, close friendship, or subordinate relationship. Services at the Freed-Hardeman University Testing Center or an official testing center at another regionally accredited college or university may also be used.

Are instructors required to administer proctored exams and use Honorlock?
No. As the instructor you are not required to administer proctored exams and may elect to use a variety of assessment strategies that don’t include online proctoring. When the nature of the course or instruction makes online proctoring a necessity, you are asked to use Honorlock to ensure the academic integrity of your test rather than other proctoring protocols.
How does Honorlock protect my exam content?
Honorlock understands that you don’t want to have to write new exams every semester, but as online test bank sites become more common, it gets harder to use the same questions from semester to semester. Honorlock’s virtual proctoring system includes proprietary technology to search for and destroy unauthorized copies of your test. Once you enable Honorlock on an assessment, the software automatically searches for leaked questions and works with the website to remove the test questions before the exam opens to the students. Note: You will need to have Honorlock applied at least 48 hours in advance to allow the system time to search and destroy unauthorized copies of your test that may appear on unauthorized sites.
Why are my students required to have a photo ID to take a proctored test with Honorlock?
Honorlock verifies the photo and name on the student’s ID to ensure he/she is the correct test taker. The student may use any government issued (i.e. driver license, passport) or a student ID that has their clear, recognizable photo and name.
What happens if a student doesn't have a photo id?
The student can still test but will be directed to a live proctor to bypass the authentication process. A report will be sent to the instructor within 24 hours.
Is there a charge for my students to take a proctored exam using Honorlock?
There is no charge to FHU students for using Honorlock. The University will cover proctoring charges associated with Honorlock. The student will, however, be responsible for supplying a computer and web camera to be used during the testing process.
Do my students need to schedule an appointment or sign up to take a proctored exam with Honorlock?
Students do not have to schedule an appointment to take Honorlock proctored tests. The student may take your proctored tests on-demand any time, day or night, during the testing availability window you have designated.

Enabling Honorlock and Reviewing Results FAQs

Do I have to enable Honorlock on all my quizzes or can I select it only for certain quizzes? (i.e. midterm and final)
By default, Honorlock is disabled on all quizzes. You may select which quizzes you wish to enable Honorlock be required for within each of your courses.
What is the difference between Student Instructions and Proctor Guidelines when enabling Honorlock?
Student Instructions appear to the student prior to starting the exam. Proctor Guidelines only appear to the Honorlock proctor and provides your expectations for how you wish them to handle the testing environment.
If a student needs to take an early or late exam, can I accommodate the request using the tests options in Canvas, or is there something else that I would need to do?
Yes, you can control the open and closing of test dates and testing exceptions through the Canvas test options.
Can my students still access notes and files in the Modules section when they are testing if I have Browser Guard enabled?
No, when Browser Guard is enabled, the student will not be able to navigate to other areas of the course.
Are whitelisted URLS provided to students automatically or does the faculty need to provide these beforehand to the students?
You will need to provide these URLs to the students as well as list them in the Honorlock Whitelist URLs section. It is recommended that the links be included in the exam so that students can easily access them after the exam begins.
Does Honorlock detect screen-capture or someone photographing the screen?
If a student attempts to use screen-capture, this will cause the exam session to briefly go out of focus which will generate a flag. If the student attempts to photograph the screen, the action will be recorded by the webcam, in which you would be able to view the offense and take appropriate action.
Does Honorlock have the capability to monitor the use the smartphone or tablet during an examination session?
Secondary devices, such as phones, can be detected, but this is not accomplished by network snooping. Students using their smartphones to search online resources for test questions should note Honorlock utilizes a manual technology to detect academic integrity issues. Specifically, Honorlock hosts websites with seeded test questions that, when accessed during an examination session, sets off an action on the phone. This action is picked up during the student’s session and alerts the instructor to review for academic integrity issues. Honorlock does not initiate any technologies to eavesdrop on the student’s smartphone activity either during or after an examination session. It is important for your students to understand your policy regarding the authorization to use a phone or tablet during an Honorlock proctored examination.
What do the proctors do and who are they?
All of proctors are based in the United States. The proctors are alerted by artificial intelligence of any students who may be engaging in dishonest behavior. They then look at the students session and if necessary pause the exam momentarily and stop the behavior in real-time. They then leave a flag for the instructor letting them know why they had to engage with the student.
Who monitors the test, Artificial Intelligence (AI) or live proctors? Who reviews the flags?
The AI automatically generates a flag if unusual activity is detected, such as another person entering the room, and can alert standby proctors to “pop in” and briefly monitor the session to correct problems. There is no live person watching the student during the entirety of the exam. Once an exam session is completed, you, the instructor, are able to review flagged recordings to determine if a cheating incident may have occurred.
Who determines if cheating took place during an online proctored exam?
You as the instructor makes the final assessment about whether suspected cheating has taken place during an exam session. Only students engaging in unusual activity during an exam are flagged and reviewed. If you review the video and determine that the student did not violate FHU’s academic dishonesty policy, no action is taken. However, if you determine that the student violated the academic dishonesty policy, you will follow the appropriate channels for academic dishonesty policy violations.
Is Honorlock available for reviewing test submissions after the test has been submitted? For example, would a student not be able to review quiz results without going through Honorlock first?
No, unfortunately, Honorlock is only accessible when taking the exam. Once the exam has been submitted, the system releases the monitoring of the student’s computer and test session.

Technical FAQs

What equipment is needed for my students to be able to take a proctored test with Honorlock?
  • A laptop or desktop computer running an operating system of Windows 10 or higher or Mac OSX 10.14 or higher – Honorlock will not function on a mobile phone or tablet. Ensure your computer is charged and has a strong internet connection. You can check your system at Honorlock Support.
  • Google Chrome browser – Make sure to use Google Chrome when you log in to take your test. Chrome version 93 or higher is required.
    One-time installation of a Chrome browser extension – The system will guide the student through this simple step, and the student can remove it after use by following these instructions.
  • A webcam
  • A stable and strong Internet connection of 1.5 Mbps download, 750 Kbps upload – We strongly advise students to test their system in advance via a link on the Honorlock Support.
  • A photo ID
  • We recommend students take your exam in a quiet private location to limit potential flags and distractions. You may provide specific requirements regarding exam setting.
What happens if a student does not meet the technical requirements (i.e. computer, webcam, and internet)?
If a student is unable to meet the technical requirement to complete an exam using Honorlock, the student will be directed arrange to take the exam at the testing center on the FHU campus.
What is the Honorlock Chrome browser extension?
The Honorlock extension is a small program that modifies the Chrome web browser and not the personal computer. Nothing is installed on the computer. The Honorlock Chrome extension can be uninstalled at any time should the user desire.
What if my students experience a problem or technical issues when taking a proctored exam with Honorlock?
Honorlock offers technical support 24 / 7 / 365 to assist students before, during, and after their proctored tests. If a student should need any assistance, direct him/her to contact Honorlock’s support agents through Honorlock’s Live Chat service. The student should always contact Honorlock support via chat if a problem is encountered during the exam.
Why are my students being prompted for an access code or password?
If the student is being prompted for an access code or password, the student is most likely not in Google Chrome or does not have the Honorlock Chrome Extension installed.

Accessibility FAQs

What about accessibility and students with special needs?
Honorlock is VPAT certified and fully accessible to students with special needs. Additionally, Honorlock works with screen readers if needed.
I have a student with special accommodations. How do I address their accommodations?
Time modifications (i.e. 1.5 x or double time) will still need to be managed through the Canvas Quiz Moderation feature. Additional accommodations (i.e. reader/scribe, formula sheets, break during testing), along with the student’s name, will need to be include in the Proctor Guidelines for each quiz. The proctor will honor any and all accommodations provided in the Proctor Guidelines during the exam.

Proctor Guideline Example: Gunner Smith has accommodations to use a 4 or 6 function calculator, formula sheet, and reader/scribe during the exam.

Privacy FAQs

Is it true that my students' information could be sold to third parties?
No. The university’s agreement with Honorlock for online test proctoring does not allow Honorlock to sell student information to third parties. Our contract with Honorlock has specific legal requirements for the protection of student information that binds Honorlock to all of the protections supplied by FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).
Is it true that Honorlock scans home networks and monitors data from any device connected to that network?
No. Honorlock does not scan home networks or monitor data from any device on the network other than the one used for testing. Secondary devices, such as phones, can be detected, but this is not accomplished by network snooping. See the questions below for more detailed information on how Honorlock tracks and monitors data and devices.
Does the Honorlock browser application have the ability to detect and monitor other computing devices connected to the local/home network used during a student's proctoring session?
Honorlock does not employ any technologies to allow detection of secondary devices connected to a student’s local/home network used during the proctoring session. No agents or applications are downloaded to these secondary devices to initiate any type of surveillance activities. Other users connected to the local/home network during a student’s Honorlock session can process personal or confidential information concurrently without fear of the student’s Honorlock session monitoring or eavesdropping on secondary device activities. In addition, the application does not have the capability of intercepting local/home network communications from devices connected during the student’s session.
Where does Honorlock store student data?
Honorlock uses an encrypted and secured connection during the exam. All videos and photos are stored in Honorlock’s platform. Their system runs in a secure, private cloud within Amazon’s AWS cloud platform in US data centers.
How long is student data stored?
Honorlock has defined data retention periods of 12 months, after which all student-related data is automatically purged, unless the university requests an extension of a particular student’s data related to an academic integrity case. Upon request from the university, Honorlock can extend the data retention of a student’s data up to an additional 12 months.
How is student data secured and protected?
All data, including photos and video, is stored in an encrypted format on isolated storage systems within Honorlock’s private cloud in Amazon’s AWS US data centers. They are SOC 2 Type 1, US Privacy Shield and GDPR compliant.
Who has access to student data?
Only key staff within Honorlock will have access in order to provide quality control and support for FHU instructors. Those accessing student data are bound to the FERPA and privacy requirements required by the FHU/Honorlock service agreement.
What data is tracked/recorded from the web browser extension and how is it handled?
The Chrome Web browser extension allows Honorlock to interact with the student and the exam content during the exam. This includes launching the webcam window and interacting with student behavior within the exam. During the exam, the following data is captured, analyzed, and stored:

  • Webcam video, including audio;
  • Recording of desktop activity;
  • Student information presented by the learning management system (Canvas), such as student name, course number, exam name, etc.;
  • Pages visited during the examination session;
  • Specific student behavior that may indicate academic dishonesty, such as copy/paste into search engines.

Webcam and audio analysis has certain AI capabilities built in, such as detecting the presence of zero, one, or more faces in the camera, one or more voices, etc. This AI will generate a “flag,” prompting the instructor to review the exam session to determine if additional action is necessary to remediate any academic integrity issues.