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Lead: Yihua Huang

Collaborator: Yinghong Shang (Chinese Tutor)

Background

As the University phases out the Questionmark Perception assessment platform, departments are transitioning to Moodle Quiz. Some of these quizzes are delivered via Safe Exam Browser (SEB) - a security tool that 'locks down' a student’s computer during an exam. It prevents access to external websites, files, and unauthorized applications, turning the device into a dedicated, secure exam environment.

A critical priority during this transition was ensuring that this secure environment could meet the technical demands of Modern Language assessments. Since accurately typing in a target language is a core requirement for language exams, ensuring that the Moodle SEB configuration could support non-English scripts was essential to maintaining our academic standards.

Challenge

While SEB provides a secure environment, its default "lockdown" settings created a significant hurdle for students typing in languages such as Chinese, French, and German. The security protocols were blocking the Input Method Editor (IME) - the native "pop-up" box that allows students to select specific characters or accents on-screen. Because this window was suppressed, students could not input their answers correctly, creating unnecessary stress and a technical barrier during high-stakes assessments.

Solution

To resolve this, Yihua conducted a targeted investigation into the Moodle SEB settings required to support non-English typing. By identifying the correct configuration within the Moodle environment, she successfully enabled native language tools to function inside the secure exam window:

• Optimised Moodle SEB Configuration: By adjusting specific settings within Moodle, we ensured the browser no longer suppresses the language selection window. This allows character pop-up boxes to appear on-screen exactly as they do in a standard, non-secure typing environment.
• The Chinese Pilot: Yihua, with the support of Chinese tutor Yinghong Shang, led a Chinese Mock Exam in a live classroom setting to test this configuration. This pilot was a success across all device types, confirming that the character selection experience is now seamless and reliable for students.
• User Control: The final configuration includes a visible language toggle on the SEB taskbar, allowing students to switch between English and their target language easily and confidently during the exam.

Key Outcomes

• Academic Freedom: Tutors no longer need to redesign assessments or limit question types to suit software limitations. They can now design exams based on pedagogical needs, confident that the platform supports the required language inputs.
• Scaling for 2026/27: Following the success of the Chinese pilot, this configuration will be scaled up next academic year for French summative assessments.
• Enhanced Inclusion & Integrity: By removing technical barriers, we have established a consistent and fair assessment environment. Students are assessed purely on their linguistic proficiency, which supports a more inclusive assessment experience.

Conclusion

This project demonstrates how a targeted configuration fix within Moodle can safeguard the integrity of our assessments. By fine-tuning the Moodle SEB settings, we have moved beyond "workarounds" and ensured that the platform fully supports the complex requirements of modern language study.