Honorlock - Setting up accommodations or bypass proctoring

This document summarizes the steps for providing reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities in Honorlock. This document also includes ways instructors can support the student in the online proctoring experience.

Honorlock is an online auto-proctoring tool that can be linked to quizzes in Canvas. This document reviews known issues and limitations of Honorlock with regards to accommodations for students. It is important to consider accommodations for students prior to using Honorlock as the students' accommodations may generate additional flags for review and/or may conflict with standard instructions you provide to students taking the quiz.

This document is part of an Honorlock guide series, Honorlock - Implementing disability-related accommodations (Instructors)or view the following steps for implementing Student Accommodations using Honorlock.

Steps for Implementing Student Accommodations

  1. Review known issues and limitations of Honorlock
  2. Setting up accommodations or bypass proctoring in Honorlock (this document)
  3. Discuss accommodation plans with individual students
  4. Document individual accommodation plans
  5. Add extended time and accommodate timed assessments


How to enter student accommodations or bypass proctoring

Names of students and changes to proctoring settings and student guidelines can be added to the exam's Honorlock Accommodations text box when enabling Honorlock for an assessment. These accommodation settings are only viewable by an Honorlock Support Representative at time of assessment. However, there may be some instances where it is not practical for students to test with Honorlock. Follow these steps to provide accommodation or a bypass proctoring for a particular student or students:
  1. When enabling Honorlock for an assessment, add the student's name and notate specified changes to proctoring settings and student guidelines, or that they are exempt from a proctored exam, in the Accommodations text box. There is no need to include any reason for exemption. Be sure to specifically avoid detailing any other info, such as any medical or disability information, in the proctoring instructions. 
  2. Instruct the student by letting them know that when beginning the exam session, the student should click on Honorlock Live Chat on the Honorlock instructions page (bottom right of the screen) and let the Honorlock Support Representative know they are to receive specified accommodations or are exempt from proctoring. 
  3. The Honorlock Support Representative has been instructed by UW-Madison to verify the student's name in the Accommodations text box against their login credentials.
  4. The Honorlock Support Representative will then enter the student's exam session and select the entered proctoring settings and student guidelines, or insert UW-Madison's Accessibility Bypass Pin. The bypass pin will allow the student to continue their Canvas exam session without Honorlock proctoring.

Accommodations Table Guide

Individual Proctoring Settings can be turned on or off for individual students at the time of proctoring launch, this can be accomplished by entering a statement into the Accommodations text box when setting up a proctored assessment in Canvas. However, most Student Guideline settings cannot be turned on or off per individual, even if typed into the Accommodations text box. Currently "Restroom Breaks Allowed" and "Take Exam in Public Area" are the only Student Guideline settings that are tied to Honorlock's artificial intelligence (AI) technology and can be turned on or off. Student Guideline settings needed for accommodation should still be entered in the Accommodations text box even though students may be flagged for these behaviors during proctoring. It is up to the instructor to take into account the flagging that occurs from Student Guideline settings when reviewing proctoring results with these students.

To ensure the smoothest experience for students needing an accommodation, it is best practice to enter what Proctoring Settings and Student Guidelines should be turned on or off for an individual student into the Accommodations text box, not the name of the accommodation the student needs. For example, instead of entering "Lesley Smith: Needs to use text to speech software," you should write "Lesley Smith: Turn Browser Guard OFF and ENABLE Copy/Paste; Headphone use and Background Noise allowed." Entering accommodations in this way takes the guesswork out for the Honorlock Agent at time of proctoring launch for that student. The table below was created to assist instructors in choosing the correct language to enter in the Honorlock Accommodations text box for the most common accommodations for UW-Students that relate to the Honorlock proctoring environment.

Accommodation Proctoring Setting changes to be entered in Accommodations text box Student Guideline changes to be entered in Accommodations text box Impact
Access to food/beverage/medication or personal/medical/technological device No corresponding setting; no text to be entered in Accommodations text box No corresponding setting; no text to be entered in Accommodations text box Dismiss any flagging for these behaviors when reviewing quiz results
Alternative Keyboard (on-screen keyboard) "Turn Browser Guard OFF" No corresponding setting; no text to be entered in Accommodations text box

Alternative physical keyboard does not affect HL proctoring
Braille Format "Turn Browser Guard OFF" "Notes Allowed" Dismiss any flagging for these behaviors when reviewing quiz results
Breaks/Restroom Breaks No corresponding setting; no text to be entered in Accommodations text box


"Restroom Breaks Allowed" No flagging should occur
Calculator "Enable Basic or Scientific Calculator" "Handheld Calculator Allowed" Dismiss flagging when reviewing quiz results if handheld calculator is used
CCTV/Video Magnifier No corresponding setting; no text to be entered in Accommodations text box No corresponding setting; no text to be entered in Accommodations text box Dismiss any flagging for these behaviors when reviewing quiz results
Extra Time (1.5-2.0X) on Exams No corresponding setting; no text to be entered in Accommodations text box No corresponding setting; no text to be entered in Accommodations text box This accommodation is met in Canvas Quiz Settings
Mobility Disability Turn "Student Photo OFF." Turn "Student ID OFF." Turn "Room Scan OFF." No corresponding setting; no text to be entered in Accommodations text box Dismiss any flagging for these behaviors when reviewing quiz results
Noise Reduction Device No corresponding setting; no text to be entered in Accommodations text box "Headphone use Allowed," and "Background Noise Allowed" Dismiss any flagging for these behaviors when reviewing quiz results
Personal Assistant No corresponding setting; no text to be entered in Accommodations text box "Background Noise Allowed" and "Take Exam in Public Area" Dismiss any flagging for these behaviors when reviewing quiz results
Reader for Exams (physical person) No corresponding setting; no text to be entered in Accommodations text box "Background Noise Allowed" and "Take Exam in Public Area" Dismiss any flagging for these behaviors when reviewing quiz results
Screenreader (e.g. JAWS, VoiceOver, etc.) No corresponding setting; no text to be entered in Accommodations text box "Headphone Use Allowed" and "Background Noise Allowed" Dismiss any flagging for these behaviors when reviewing quiz results
Use of Text-to-Speech Software (e.g. Kurzweil 3000) "Turn Browser Guard OFF" and "Enable Copy/Paste" "Headphone Use Allowed" and "Background Noise Allowed" Dismiss any flagging for these behaviors when reviewing quiz results


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