"Respondus Update" is a periodic e-newsletter that is sent to registered users of Respondus, StudyMate, and Respondus LockDown Browser.

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Respondus 4.0 Includes Desire2Learn & Moodle Integrations
Respondus 4.0, released in September, offers seamless integrations with Desire2Learn and Moodle, among other new features.

Are Respondus Products Compatible with Windows 7?
One of the top questions we’re getting asked is whether Respondus products are compatible with Windows 7. Here's the answer.

The Latest Features in StudyMate Class
StudyMate Class, the web-based version of StudyMate, is continually being enhanced. Recent updates include image support, advanced search capabilities and more.

Top FAQs for Respondus LockDown Browser
Did you miss our recent webinar series on Respondus LockDown Browser? Here are the questions most frequently asked by attendees.

Tech Tip: Silent Installations of Respondus LockDown Browser
This tech tip is a bit deeper than most, but it’s quite useful if you’re trying to do a “silent install” of Respondus LockDown Browser.

New Publishers Join the Respondus Test Bank Network
Learn about the latest publishers to offer their test banks in Respondus format, bringing the total number of publishers to 28.

"Respondus Update" Newsletter Sign-up
Receive Respondus product announcements by signing up for the Respondus Update e-newsletter.

Articles from 2009

Respondus LockDown Browser for Moodle
Moodle users are now able to use Respondus LockDown Browser. Here are the details.

Respondus LockDown Browser for ANGEL
Respondus LockDown Browser now integrates with the ANGEL Learning Management System.

New Features in StudyMate Class
New features are being added to StudyMate Class each month. Heres a quick look at four powerful enhancements that were recently added.

Respondus Powers ExamGuard by Pearson eCollege
Respondus LockDown Browser powers the latest version of ExamGuard by Pearson eCollege. Macintosh users are smiling.

Tech Tip: Changing Point Values in Respondus
Here are two time-saving tips for changing the point values of questions in Respondus.

Blackboard Learn 9 and Respondus Products
The question we get asked most frequently by Blackboard customers is whether our products support Blackboard Learn 9.  Here’s the answer.

ANGEL Learning and Respondus Strengthen Partnership
ANGEL Learning and Respondus are working together on two new fronts. Learn what they are.

Respondus Beta for Desire2Learn Users
Assessments and surveys can now be published seamlessly from Respondus to Desire2Learn courses. You can also retrieve assessments from Desire2Learn courses. Learn about the beta release.

Moodle: Two Integrations Coming Soon
We’ve got the whole kit and caboodle coming for Moodle. See which Respondus products will soon integrate with Moodle.

StudyMate Class : 4 New Features
One of the benefits of a hosted application like StudyMate Class is that enhancements can be added on a regular basis. Don’t miss these four new features. 

Tech Tip: Batch Publishing an Assessment
Publishing an assessment or survey to multiple courses is easy. Learn how to use this time-saving “Batch Publishing” feature in Respondus.

Two Training Tools for Respondus LockDown Browser
Here are two must-have training resources for Respondus LockDown Browser.

e-Learning: It’s Hip to be Frugal
Does a tight e-learning budget have you pinching pennies? David Smetters, CEO of Respondus, thinks this is a good time to crunch the numbers and analyze the value of learning technologies.

Respondus Announces Pricing for 2009-2010
We generally announce pricing for the next academic year in April, but everyone seems to be working on budgets early this year. Here’s the scoop on whether there will be a price increase for campus-wide licenses of Respondus software.

Collaboration Tools: Three Ingredients for Success
Why do certain Web 2.0 and collaboration technologies work well in education, while others don’t? Three factors seem to determine their success.

Respondus to the Rescue
A customer recently told us how Respondus saved him from having to redo weeks of work. These tips might rescue you some day, too.

Using LockDown Browser with Audio, Video and PDFs
A common mistake can cause audio, video and PDF files to be blocked during online tests that use Respondus LockDown Browser. Here’s how to avoid the problem.

StudyMate Class Now Available
The final release of StudyMate Class is here! Dozens of institutions participated in the beta program and we've incorporated numerous customer suggestions into the final product. Learn why StudyMate Class is called the "ultimate study group."

Five Little-Known Reasons to Use Respondus LockDown Browser
You probably know the top reasons instructors use Respondus LockDown Browser. Here are five reasons that might surprise you.

Spice Up Supplemental Readings with StudyMate Class
Dust off those supplemental reading lists (yes, the ones your students ignore). Here's an exciting way to engage students in supplemental readings without adding much work for the instructor.

Saliva, FERPA and StudyMate: It's All About Privacy
David Smetters, CEO of Respondus, gives his perspective on the ever-growing topic of "privacy" in educational technology. From Facebook to FERPA, saliva to StudyMate, he shows why privacy issues shouldn't be feared or ignored.

Wiley Joins the Respondus Test Bank Network
The Respondus Test Bank Network keeps growing! Wiley Higher Education is the newest higher education publisher to offer question banks for use with Respondus 3.5 and StudyMate Author.

Articles from 2008

What Makes StudyMate Class the "Ultimate" Study Group?
All study groups are not created equal. Once you compare a traditional study group to StudyMate Class, you’ll see why it’s called “the ultimate study group.”

Respondus LockDown Browser: Improved Integration with Blackboard
This year, three major enhancements were made to the Respondus LockDown Browser integration with Blackboard. Do you know what they are?

How the Economy will Change e-Learning
Our newsletter wouldn’t be complete without some mention of the economy. David Smetters, CEO of Respondus, gives his thoughts on how the economy will affect the e-Learning industry and educational institutions.

The Respondus Test Bank Network - Quick, Free and Easy
If there was ever a time to promote something that’s FREE, this is it. The Respondus Test Bank Network makes it easy to create assessments and learning activities using official publisher test banks. And, yes, it’s FREE.

The Top-10 Reasons to Use a Respondus Product
Who can resist a top-10 list? If you're responsible for rolling out Respondus products to faculty, or if you simply want to review the top reasons to use our software, this article is for you.

Shhhh…StudyMate Class "Beta" is Available
It’s hard to keep a new product a secret when the number of beta testers increases. But if you can keep a secret, you’re welcome to participate in the beta release of StudyMate Class.

Importing MS Word 2007 (.docx) files with Respondus 3.5
Respondus 3.5 users have more powerful importing capabilities when using the new .docx format from MS Word 2007.

Respondus 3.5 Streamlined Integration for Desire2Learn
Respondus 3.5 will soon support direct publishing and retrieval of quizzes for the Desire2Learn Learning Environment.

Training Resources for Respondus Products
Rolling out Respondus software to faculty is easier than you may think. Here is a checklist of training resources that are available from our web site.

The Art of Writing Good Flash Cards
StudyMate Author makes it easy to create online flash cards, but the five tips in this article will help you write good flash cards (and other learning activities).

New Publishers Join the Respondus Test Bank Network
Textbook publishers continue to join the Respondus Test Bank Network, thus making their test banks available in Respondus format. See which publishers have recently come aboard.

Blackboard Building Block for Respondus LockDown Browser
We recently released a Blackboard “Building Block” for Respondus LockDown Browser. Setting up a test for use with Respondus LockDown Browser just got a lot easier.

StudyMate Becomes an Author
We recently changed the name of our “StudyMate” product to “StudyMate Author”. Why would we do such a thing?

Simple Setup: No Server Settings Required
The campus-wide versions of Respondus 3.5 and StudyMate Author 2.0 have a new feature that lets you skip the “server setup” step in the Publish Wizard.

Discover the Respondus Test Bank Network
This is a must-read article if you use Respondus 3.5 or StudyMate Author 2.0. Learn to do twice as much in half the time with publisher test banks.

Articles from 2007

Create Files for iPod Quiz and iQuiz
It doesn’t matter if you call it an "iQuiz" or an "iPod Quiz". The point is that you can now create these files using StudyMate Author or Respondus.

Respondus LockDown Browser for Desire2Learn
Respondus LockDown Browser now integrates with the Desire2Learn Learning Environment.

Respondus Plug-in for Moodle
A Respondus plug-in for the Moodle course management system allows Moodle users to import questions that are exported from Respondus 3.5.

Getting Started with Respondus-Ready Test Banks
Whether you want to create an online test, a Flash-based learning game, or some review materials for use on iPods, there’s no better place to start than the Respondus Test Bank Network.

"Quick Start Guides" Available for All Respondus Products
Have you downloaded the Quick Start Guides for Respondus, StudyMate Author, and Respondus LockDown Browser? Don’t miss out on these valuable training resources.

StudyMate Author 2.0 Now Available
The final release of StudyMate Author 2.0 is available, including a new feature that lets you create learning activities for iPods.  See what else is new with Version 2.0 and how to get your upgrade.

McGraw-Hill Higher Education Partners with Respondus
McGraw-Hill Higher Education is making its textbook question banks available from the Respondus Test Bank Network.

Respondus Wins Top Ranking
Respondus 3.5 was awarded “Best in Category” for assessment products in the IMS Global Learning Consortium (IMS GLC) Technology Satisfaction and Trends Report.

Are Respondus Products Compatible with Windows Vista?
We’ve had a number of users ask whether our products are compatible with Windows Vista. Here’s your answer. 

Articles from 2006

Do Your Students Use Wikipedia & Google During Tests?
Online testing has many benefits, but it also opens the door to new types of cheating. Learn how one professor discovered that students were doing Internet searches during weekly quizzes, and what he did to stop it.

Training Made Fun with StudyMate Author
This contributed article describes how librarians at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign use StudyMate Author to train student employees.

Respondus LockDown Browser - Macintosh Version Available
The Macintosh version of Respondus LockDown Browser is out of beta. You can now lock down the testing environment on both Windows and Macintosh computers.

Respondus-Ready Publisher Test Banks
Over 1000 test banks for the leading textbooks in higher education are available in Respondus and StudyMate Author format. You won’t find an easier way to create online quizzes or Flash-based games using publisher test banks. Plus, it’s free!

The Top Support Question by Respondus and StudyMate Author Users
The top support question that we receive from Respondus and StudyMate Author users depends on the time of the year. Learn about the top question being asked right now.

Wiley Australia Joins the Respondus Test Bank Network
Wiley Australia, a leading publisher of science and business textbooks, makes question banks available from the Respondus Test Bank Network.

Respondus LockDown Browser - Final Release Available
After 6 months of beta testing at over 150 institutions, the final release of Respondus LockDown Browser is now available.

Respondus 3.5 Now Available
The final release of Respondus 3.5 is now available. The upgrade is free to Respondus 3.0 users.

Respondus Ranks #1 in Customer Satisfaction for e-Learning Vendors
Respondus received the highest customer satisfaction score among 44 higher education e-learning vendors that were analyzed by The Alliance for Higher Education Competitiveness.

Respondus Joins the IMS Global Learning Consortium
Respondus has become a contributing member of the IMS Global Learning Consortium. What does that mean?

CQ Press Joins the Respondus Test Bank Network
CQ Press, a leading publisher of higher education textbooks on politics and government, has joined the Respondus Test Bank Network.

Using Publisher Question Banks to Create Flash Activities with StudyMate Author
It’s easy to create Flash activities and games from publisher question banks using StudyMate Author. The question banks are free to instructors who adopt a participating textbook. Best of all, StudyMate Author doesn’t require you to retype or copy-and-paste the questions.

Respondus LockDown Browser - Beta Available
Respondus LockDown Browser is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment in WebCT and Blackboard. Learn how your institution can participate in the beta release.

Respondus 3.5 Offers Enhanced Importing Capabilities
Respondus 3.5 lets you import exam questions and images from MS Word format. Another new feature allows questions to be imported from CSV or tab delimited files.

StudyMate Author 1.5.5 Includes New Color Palettes
Eight color palettes are available in StudyMate Author 1.5.5. This lets you add a personal touch to Flash activities and games created with StudyMate Author.

StudyMate Author 1.5.2 Update
Are you running the latest version of StudyMate Author (version 1.5.2)? A recent update includes integration for Blackboard 7, WebCT CE 6, and WebCT Vista 4, among other enhancements.

StudyMate Author Wins “Gold Excellence” Award for Innovation
StudyMate Author continues to receive accolades and awards from the e-learning industry, including a prestigious "Gold Excellence" award from Brandon-Hall Research.

Respondus 3.0 FAQs for Calculated Questions
The increased popularity of “calculated questions” has prompted us to answer several frequently asked questions, including: What are calculated questions? Can a calculated question created for a WebCT course be used in a Blackboard course (or vice versa)? Can calculated questions be printed or saved to MS Word format?

The Wall Street Journal’s “Weekly Quiz” in Respondus Format
The Journal-In-Education program helps faculty and students use The Wall Street Journal to enhance the learning experience. The Wall Street Journal now offers weekly quizzes in Respondus format so faculty can easily publish them to Blackboard, WebCT, ANGEL, eCollege and other e-learning platforms.

Over 700 Publisher Question Banks Now Available
Question banks for more than 700 of the leading textbooks in higher education are now available in Respondus format, free to instructors who adopt a participating textbook. It’s never been easier to create online exams or e-learning games for Blackboard, WebCT, eCollege, ANGEL and QTI-based systems.

Ten Respondus and StudyMate Author Winners
Each month instructors who use the Respondus Test Bank Network are randomly selected to win a free copy of Respondus or StudyMate Author. See if you’re a winner!

Respondus 3.0.2 Integrates with WebCT CE 6 & Vista 4
WebCT CE 6 and WebCT Vista 4 are now available. And so is Respondus 3.0.2, which offers complete integration with these latest systems.

Respondus 3.0.2 Supports Blackboard 6.3 Question Types
Did your institution recently upgrade to Backboard 6.3? Then you’ll want to check out the new question types that are available--and that are now supported in Respondus 3.0.2.

New Features in StudyMate Author 1.5
StudyMate Author 1.5 includes support for Blackboard 6.3 and ANGEL 6.3, and has major enhancements for accessibility and foreign language instructors.

Thomson Learning EMEA Joins Respondus Test Bank Network
Thomson Learning EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) has joined the Respondus Test Bank Network. Respondus-formatted test banks will be available for many of the leading Thomson Learning EMEA textbooks.

Tech Tip: “Can exam questions in an online course be used with StudyMate Author?”
You already have assessment questions in an online course, but would like to turn them into interactive Flash activities using StudyMate Author. Here are the steps to do that.

Development Roadmap for Respondus and StudyMate Author
We frequently receive questions about when integration will be available for a forthcoming version of a course management system. We thought a brief roadmap on this topic would be helpful.

Tech Tip: Converting an Online Exam to MS Word Format
Respondus is often used to convert questions from MS Word to an online exam, but sometimes you need to convert an online exam to MS Word format. Here’s how to do that using Respondus.

Respondus 3.0 Now Available
Learn all about Respondus 3.0 and how to get the update.

Tips for Choosing an Authoring Tool
E-learning consultant Brandon-hall.com provides four guidelines for choosing authoring tools. See how StudyMate Author compares.

Calculated and Algorithmic Questions with Respondus
Do you know why the math and science teachers are smiling? Because Respondus now allows the creation of numeric problems that use formulas and variables.

ANGEL Integration Added to Respondus
Respondus 3.0 includes integration for the ANGEL Learning Management System.

StudyMate Author 1.1 Update
StudyMate Author 1.1 is now available. This free update includes several new features, including crossword puzzles, SCORM support, and printing capabilities.

Feature Highlight: StudyMate Author’s Matching Activity
StudyMate Author will auto-generate matching questions for you (a real time-saver!), but you’ll want to read this article to avoid a common mistake.

Oxford University Press Partners with Respondus
Oxford University Press has joined the Respondus Test Bank Network. Respondus-formatted test banks will be available for top-selling OUP textbooks.

Newsletter and Demo Movie Archives
Dozens of newsletter articles and demo movies are archived at the Respondus web site. If you’re looking for hands-on, how-to materials for Respondus and StudyMate Author, this is the place to start.

Beta Releases for Campus-wide Licensors
Last month we announced the start of an ongoing beta release that provides campus-wide licensors of Respondus or StudyMate Author with early access to new features. Many institutions were interested (and excited) about this, so we thought we would run the article again in case you missed it.

Get Early Access to New Features
Institutions with a campus-wide site license of Respondus or StudyMate Author now receive early access to new features in the software. Some of the most anticipated features for Respondus and StudyMate Author are now available as part of an ongoing beta program that was recently implemented.

Creating StudyMate Author Activities from Existing Content
StudyMate Author has a robust set of tools that make it possible to convert existing materials to StudyMate Author format. You may be surprised at how easy it is to create interactive, Flash activities from your current course materials and digital content.

Prepare for Next Term: Request Respondus-Ready Test Banks
Perhaps the last thing you want to think about is preparing class materials for next term. But now is the best time to submit requests for Respondus-formatted test banks. It only takes a few minutes and you’ll have everything in place for when you are ready to think about next term!

Knowledgebase and Ticket-based Support
A knowledgebase and ticket-based support system was recently introduced for Respondus 2.0, StudyMate Author 1.0, and the Respondus Test Bank Network. These are excellent resources for when you can’t find the answer in the online help or user guide.

Use the Respondus Test Bank Network, Win Software
Ten people who used the Respondus Test Bank Network during October won a copy of StudyMate Author. There are more chances to win...

StudyMate Author 1.0 - Create Interactive Student Activities
The final release of StudyMate Author 1.0 is now available. It's never been easier to create interactive, Flash activities and games for online courses.

Importing Respondus Files with StudyMate Author
Learn how to create StudyMate Author activities (fast!) from existing materials. This is a must-read article for people who use both Respondus and StudyMate Author.

Respondus 2.0.8 Update
Are you keeping your Respondus software current? It takes just seconds to see if you are running the latest version.

Pearson Education Partners with Respondus
Pearson Education partners with Respondus Inc. to make test banks available in Respondus format.

Feature Highlight: Respondus Exam Wizard
Have you discovered the "Exam Wizard" in Respondus? It is the easiest way to select exam questions from a publisher test bank or from an existing set of Respondus files.

Publisher Test Banks Available in Respondus Format
Respondus-formatted test banks are available for many of the leading textbooks in higher education.

Thomson Higher Education Partners with Respondus
Respondus and Thomson Higher Education have entered into a partnership that will result in over 100 test banks being made available in Respondus format.

Respondus Supports WebCT Vista Platform
The campus-wide version of Respondus supports WebCT Vista 2.0 and higher.

Keeping Your Respondus Software Current
Are you keeping your Respondus software current by using the "Check for Update" feature?

Respondus Demonstration and Training Movies
Respondus demonstration movies are a great resource for both new and advanced Respondus users.

Tech Tip: "Importing Questions with HTML"
Sometimes you want to import questions containing HTML as "text" and other times you want the HTML to be interpreted by the browser as a block of HTML. Respondus can import the HTML both ways, but you have to tell it what you want.

Tech Corner: "Can you Help Me?"
We receive a number of "support" e-mails that have nothing to do with problems people are having with Respondus. Instead, users will ask us whether Respondus has a certain feature or if we can suggest a solution to an exam-related issue they are trying to solve. This article discusses some of the time-saving features in Respondus that are often the solution they are looking for.

Randomizing Questions in Exams
Most course management systems include a feature that allows questions to be randomized during an exam. If you thought you needed to be a "power user" to take advantage of this feature, you're wrong! A one-step wizard in Respondus makes it possible to randomize a set of questions in seconds.

Print Exams and Online Exams are the Same Thing
(well, almost)
There may come a day when you never need to print a survey, exam, or answer key. But in the meantime, Respondus makes it possible to create exams that can be (1) published to an online course, (2) printed directly from Respondus, or (3) saved to a file (e.g, MS Word, rich-text, IMS-QTI). This 3-in-1 approach even works with questions that contain tables, equations and enhanced formatting. Also explained in this article is how to quickly convert an exam you already have in an online course to a traditional print exam.

Math Symbols in WebCT Assessments
This article overviews three methods that can be used to include math and scientific symbols in WebCT assessments. You'll learn about the WebEQ equation editor in WebCT, MathType 5, MathML and, of course, Respondus.

Where Do I Find It in Respondus?
You know the feature must be in Respondus somewhere, but where? For those of you who never look at online help or user guides, this short article will discuss three "hidden" tools in Respondus:

• Table editor
• Spell checking and add-on language dictionaries
• Preference settings