FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Tips & Tricks for using Honorlock

This article covers the intricacies involved with using Honorlock. For basic information and resources, see our tech tool article: Honorlock.

The Basics

• All course with online proctoring must have the Proctoring Language included in the course syllabus.
• Honorlock (HL) works with Classic Quizzes and 3rd Party Quizzes such as MyMathLab and McGraw-Hill Connect, but it does not work with Canvas’s New Quizzes.
• HL exams must be completed in Chrome Browser
  • Chrome Browser is blocked in China
  • Those students can complete online exams using Examity
  • Ask students to take all Examity exams in Firefox and take all Honorlock exams with Chrome after disabling Examity and any other proctoring extensions in the Chrome browser
• All HL proctoring is available on-demand – no scheduling required
• HL follows the Canvas date/time constraints
• HL follows the Canvas time accommodations
• HL Exam Profiles can be saved and applied to multiple exams over multiple semesters
• Exams can schedule all students at same time
• Authentication and exam Proctoring is all AI (Artificial intelligence) until a student engages HL Live Chat for HELP
  • Students must engage Live Chat HELP for any custom accommodations
  • Problems with Authentication
  • Problems with access to online resources – All online resources must be in the same browser window
• Should require completion of a HL Practice Activity
  • Provide complete instructions and rules for exam
  • Practice Activity should contain all elements of the exam
  • Variety of question types
  • Display of images with the same image file type
  • Links to online resources and textbooks redundant to exam profile
  • Links to formula sheets
  • Proved pre-exam access to printable exam answer sheets
• Clearly inform students if they have problems with HL to:
  • First: contact HL with Live Chat HELP
  • Second: contact PSU HelpDesk to check profile configuration
  • Third: contact the instructor to report difficulty

The Details

• Must use a photo ID with full name printed in English Language
  • Allows for exception to pass authentication with later ID confirmation
  • This is a problem for international students
  • Is often caught if students complete Practice Activity
• Open Notes – this means printed hardcopy notes
  • no personal digital notes (One Note)
  • no notes on second device (iPad)
• Open Book – this means printed hardcopy textbook or online digital textbook
  • But the online textbook URL must be entered in HL
  • If students use online textbook from alternative source – it will be blocked. Ex., a PDF version that students mark up with personal notes
• HL needs to authenticate for every Canvas Quiz/Assignment individually
  • If you employ two-part exams with a scan/upload, then the Exam Part 2 requires redundant authentication. In this case, I recommend leaving the scan upload unproctored, but time limited

Wrapping it up

• Who gets notified regarding flagged violations – Critical Session Recipients via email
• What to do about flagged violation – first check to see if the flags require elevation to the Academic Integrity Office
• Common False Flags
  • Test window lost focus
  • Exam taker’s face was partially out of view.
  • Drag-n-drop detected – often just stray mouse movement
  • Right mouse click detected
  • Online resource accessed – every time the student hits the online textbook
  • Speech Detected: Personal Assistant or Multiple people in room. Often students talking to themselves – but concern that students are dictating exam questions for off-screen assistance
  • Low visibility of the exam taker due to lighting conditions. Students sitting in front of a window and only see a silhouette
• HL provides Summary Reports and individual Student Reports