Respondus Monitor

Due to the orders and directives issued by the Government of Ontario, and relying on advice of public health authorities as it relates to COVID-19, Durham College is unable to administer in-person assessments at this time. Video monitoring through software is viewed to be an integral part of the transition to online learning. Use of this software allows the college to maintain the academic integrity of its assessments, while protecting the health and safety of all of its members by adopting the recommendations for physical distancing during the pandemic.

During your assessment while the Respondus Monitor is enabled, the software collects video and audio recordings captured by your webcam and microphone, an image of your student ID, and data regarding your activity, including eye movement and the time taken by you to answer specific questions. The software also uses automated processes to help authorized Durham College personnel to evaluate the recordings.

Student identifiable information including name, grades, course name, and photos taken for identification cards is only accessible through Durham College’s Learning Management System (LMS) by authorized Durham College personnel. Respondus cannot view or access your student information on the LMS.

• Your course instructor(s) and teaching assistant(s);
• Proctor(s) authorized by your Faculty;
• LMS administrators; and
• Faculty and staff responsible for the review, investigation and adjudication of allegations of academic misconduct pursuant to Durham College’s academic regulations.

Information will be treated in accordance with the Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the privacy law that governs the college. Every employee of Durham College is subject to this law, which means that information will only by used by personnel who require the information to perform their duties, and solely for the purpose the information was collected.

Assessments conducted through Respondus are not viewed or monitored in real-time like in-person assessments. Instead, the system is set up to generate data that flag any abnormal activity.

Audio and video recordings, along with the additional data generated by the software’s automated processes, will be used by Durham College for the sole purposes of improving educational processes and managing the academic integrity of its assessments by: (i) allowing authorized personnel to review, assess, and analyze student performance and conduct; and (ii) using the relevant recordings as evidence for the purpose of investigating and adjudicating allegations of academic misconduct.

Images of student ID cards will be used to ensure compliance with Durham College’s Examination and Grading Policy, which requires students to present student ID cards to verify their identity at the beginning of each final examination.

Only authorized personnel and third-party researchers (research institutions and/or biometric experts) performing research on behalf of Respondus will have access to video and audio recordings of assessments for the uses stated in the question below (“How will Respondus use my information”).

Researchers do not have access to any personally identifiable information of any student, such as the student's name, course name, institution, grades, or student ID photos, and are bound by legal agreements that include confidentiality obligations that are at least as restrictive as the terms set out in the Respondus Privacy Policy.

• Improve and optimize the operation and performance of services;
• Diagnose problems with and identify any security risks, errors, or needed enhancements to the services;
• Detect and prevent fraud and abuse of services and systems;
• Collect aggregate statistics about use of the services; and
• Understand and analyze how Services are used

No. Other than the research purposes outlined in Question 5, Respondus will not share recordings or personal information with third parties.

Respondus Monitor uses industry standard SSL (Secure Socket Layer) or TLS (Transport Layer Security) encryption to transfer information. Respondus uses independent, third-party security firms to perform "penetration testing" of the Respondus Monitor system. This includes a review of the Respondus Monitor architecture and the testing for vulnerabilities and exploits. However, no data transmission over the Internet is 100% secure.

Within the LMS, student identifiable information including name, grade, course name, and photos that show identification cards can only be accessed by authorized Durham College personnel.

Only users with instructor credentials for the LMS course (e.g., instructors, teaching assistants, proctors, LMS administrators) are able to view video sessions in conjunction with student identifiable information. Video URLs are "one-time use" and will not function if copied.

No.  All files and data that are stored on your computer are secured by the Lockdown Browser.

During the assessment it is recommended that you situate yourself in a quiet and unoccupied space, where other persons inside your dwelling will not be observed, and remove or conceal personal property bearing images or names (e.g. family photographs or signs) to further maintain your privacy.

Yes. Both webcam and microphone need to be functional and enabled on your computer at all times during the assessment.  If you do not have one or both of these capabilities, please contact your instructor.

Your personal information will be retained by Respondus and Durham College for one year after it is collected. This is consistent with Ontario privacy law.

Please contact your course instructor if you have any questions or concerns about the use of Respondus Monitor.