Casper, iPad Single App mode, and high-stakes testing (SBAC/PARCC)

cdenesha
Valued Contributor II

Hi all,

I do not recommend using Casper to put a testing app into Single App mode with a configuration profile. Use Guided Access mode instead.

The requirement is that the testing app be secure. Guided Access is one method, but requires you to touch each iPad. Since MDM Single App mode uses the same SDK framework as Guided Access, that is what I decided to use. (https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=9416)

Technically, it worked fine in my testing.

Practically, it did not. For some reason entire classrooms received the profile to launch the app and threw a Guided Access error. I did not see the error myself (not available? app not installed?) because I was at my computer trying to figure out what to do that would take less than 5 minutes. If I had to guess I would say it was something to do with the iPads not being restarted after the app was installed the previous day. (Yes, SBAC upgraded their test app just before the test window began - in fact after their original window was to begin since they delayed a week).

With an unknown number of iPads properly in the test, how do I figure out which ones are not in? I would have to collect student names or iPad asset tag numbers, put them in a group, and exclude this group from the scope of the single app mode configuration profile. If it was only a few, perhaps it would work. It was not just a few.

I considered asking all affected students to restart their iPads, but since most have a passcode set, they would no longer have been in single app mode. (see bottom comment https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=9478) (Communicating this would have been messy as well https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/featureRequest.html?id=84)

I wanted to have Casper clear the passcode from all iPads, but this is not a current feature. (https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/featureRequest.html?id=267)

Asking them to restart, remove their own passcode, then restart again would have taken time, although it probably would have worked. I don't think I immediately thought of that possibility - instead, I made a decision and recommended to the Test Administrator that we postpone.

We collected all iPads and spent the afternoon turning GA on and setting the passcode. We also upgraded to 7.1 if they had not done so, since it fixes a keyboard Search button bug that kicks you out of Guided Access/Single App mode.

Thus I recommend:
Have all students upgrade to iOS 7.1.
Touch each iPad to turn on Guided Access and set a passcode. Either do it ahead of time and take the risk of it being reversed or the GA code changed, or if possible teach teachers how to do it and have them set it before the first test. It is very easy and takes little time. They have to End GA mode after the test, so they need to be taught anyway.
Teach teachers how to Quit an app from memory. It is then a simple matter for them to fix certain test issues by themselves (End GA, clear the app from memory, relaunch the app, start GA)
Have all students remove their passcode on the morning of their testing. Then, if an iPad has to be restarted because it locks up (or if they restart on their own) it goes back into the test.

Thanks for reading, and if you have any comments or suggestions please comment,

chris

2 REPLIES 2

dgreening
Valued Contributor II

We have decided to not use our iPads for PARCC mainly due the the need for a hardware keyboard. We have been using Google Chromebooks, locked into kiosk mode for PARCC testing with great success (as long as there is a strong wireless connection).

cdenesha
Valued Contributor II

Perhaps not coincidentally, the March 26 update to the Mobile Secure Browser says:
"Note: Guided Access must be enabled even when iPads are in Single App mode."