Respondus Campus-Wide License
Overview
Conditions Of License
How To Obtain Installation Media
Renewing Your License Each Year
System Requirements
Installation Instructions
Obtaining Respondus Patches (updates)
How to Install a Patch or Hotfix
Support For Respondus
Respondus Documentation and Resources
Sign Up for the VCU RESPONDUS-L Listserv
Consultation and training available by appointment
Overview
Respondus is a tool for creating and managing exams, quizzes, and surveys that can be published directly into Blackboard. This is available as a free download to all VCU faculty.
Advantages of Respondus
This tool offers several advantages over the current method of authoring and distributing assessments in Blackboard.
- Assessment items can be created offline using Windows based tools
- Microsoft Word (a tool used by nearly all faculty) is used to format and author questions
- Respondus converts Word documents into Blackboard ready assessment items
- Respondus permits batch loading of assessment items (multiple questions and formats simultaneously)
- Contains formatting options and question types not found in Blackboard’s assessment authoring tool
Authoring
- Includes distinct user environments (called "personalities") for Blackboard, etc.
- Create exams and assessments offline using a Windows interface
- Supports up to nine question types, including calculated and algorithmic formats.
- Import questions from rich-text files (ideal for converting existing exams from MS Word)
- Use the Exam Wizard to create an assessment in minutes
- "Spell check" an entire exam file (includes dictionaries for American English, Canadian English, British English, French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Finnish, and a comprehensive medical dictionary)
- Add tables, bulleted lists, font changes, and enhanced formatting (e.g. bold, italics) just like in a word processor
- Insert mathematical and scientific symbols using the Respondus Equation Editor or
- Embed graphics, audio, and video without writing or viewing the underlying HTML links
- Resize graphics and convert them to JPEG format with one click
- Add links to multimedia content on other servers with the Web Links tool
- Create random sets of questions in seconds with a one-step wizard
Preview, Publish, and Printing
- Preview questions before publishing them to the server
- Publish exams and assessments directly to an online course (media files are automatically uploaded)
- A “batch publish” feature allows assessments and surveys to be published to multiple courses in a single step**
- Determine point values and exam/survey settings offline
- Print exams/surveys directly from Respondus, or save files to MS Word or rich-text format
Retrieval, Reports, and Tools
- Retrieve exams from the leading eLearning platforms, complete with media files*
- Retrieve custom reports, such as student scores, summary statistics, and answer distributions*
- Download answer databases for quizzes or surveys and save them in an Excel-compatible format*
- Archive and restore exam/survey projects (including media content) with one click — ideal for providing a colleague with a ready-to-use exam
- Quickly locate questions using keyword searches
Also includes:
- Full context-sensitive help
- Respondus User Guide (MS Word/Wordpad format)
- An incredibly easy-to-use interface that makes the online help and user guide woefully neglected by most users
- Access to hundreds of in Respondus format -- FREE to instructors who adopt a participating textbook
Conditions Of License
Use of the Respondus products included in this license is subject to all of the following conditions:
- All VCU faculty and staff are licensed to use the products at no cost.
- The products may be installed on VCU owned PC's and on privately owned PC's.
- The installation media may be shared among licensed VCU users. That is, Respondus installation media may be used to install Respondus on multiple PC's, but licenses for such additional installs must be registered at: https://www.pubapps.vcu.edu/wss/software/myDownload.asp?ff_sid=4400.
- The use of the products under this license is restricted to VCU-related purposes ONLY. (Note that this applies regardless of how the installation media is obtained and who owns or uses the PC on which the products are installed.)
- The products may be used for VCU academic and administrative purposes.
- When you leave VCU you lose the right to use the products, and you must immediately uninstall them from all PCs on which you had installed them and on which you had authorized their installation.
- You may NOT resell this license and/or the products it covers.
How To Obtain Installation Media
The installation software can be obtained at the VCU download website.
Renewing Your License Each Year
Your Respondus software will expire on July 31st each year unless you annually obtain and apply a new installation password.
Several weeks prior to the expiration date, Technology Services will email registered users with instructions for obtaining and installing the new password. Anyone who downloads from the VCU download website is automatically registered to the respondus listserv where they will receive emails concerning product updates.
System Requirements
The minimum hardware and software requirements for Respondus:
Operating System
Windows 98, NT4, ME, 2000, XP, Vista
Memory
32 MB RAM minimum.
Hard Disk Space
10 MB of free hard disk space for program files.
Monitor
800x600 minimum (1024x768 recommended).
Course Management System
Respondus 3 is compatible with Blackboard 5.0 - 7.x (Basic and Enterprise)
Installation Instructions
Below are links to instructions for installing Respondus on a Windows PC:
Downloading and Installing Respondus
Obtaining Respondus Patches (updates)
- VCU Download: After a patch/hotfix has been made available from Respondus, it will usually be available from the VCU Technology Services VCU download website.
- Respondus Internet Updates: To check for a Respondus update at any time, go to the Help menu and select the 'Check for Update' option.
Support For Respondus
Product support for Respondus can be found at the Respondus web site:
- Respondus Support FAQ
- Respondus Technical Support Resources and Guidelines
- Ticket-based Support from Respondus - please contact the VCU Help Desk before using this option
Issues downloading the installer for Respondus or technical issues connecting to Blackboard can be reported to the VCU Help Desk. You will be contacted by a Help Desk or Blackboard support representative.
Respondus Documentation and Resources
- User's Manual 3.5 - Revised June 20, 2006 with permission from Respondus.
- Quick Start Guide - A 1-4 page guide with essential information for getting started with Respondus
- Teaching with Technology - Center for Teaching Excellence Web site.
- Demo Movies and Screenshots - View and the Respondus product web site.
- Online Help - Online help is available from within the Respondus application. Context-sensitive help is available by pressing the F1 key. Or, go to Help > Help Topics to access the main help system.
Sign Up for the VCU RESPONDUS-L Listserv (mailing list)
Listserv subscribers receive notifications of Respondus upgrades and maintenance fixes.
If you downloaded Respondus from the VCU download website, you should have been automatically subscribed to the RESPONDUS-L listserv.
To manually subscribe, login to your VCU e-mail account and send an e-mail message addressed to:
The Subject: field may be left blank. In the body of the e-mail message, type only the following single line:
subscribe RESPONDUS-L firstname lastname
Example for Jane Doe:
subscribe RESPONDUS-L Jane Doe
If you have configured your email program to automatically include signature text at the bottom of your emails, you should (temporarily) turn off that feature when sending this subscription request.
Consultation and training available by appointment
- Please contact the CTE at (804) 827-0838 to talk with staff about setting up consultations on assessment design, using Respondus, or any issues related to the delivery of online assessments.
- Instructor-Led Courses are available on campus at VCU.
