Blocking plan FAQs

Blocking Plans enable teachers to specify exactly which websites and/or applications students can or cannot access during a monitoring session.

If you've already reviewed the content within our Blocking Plans Overview article, check out our responses to the most commonly asked questions about Dyknow Blocking Plans below.

• How do I block a specific site?
• How do I know which website URLs to block?
• How do I promote integrity during online testing?
• How do I block parts of Google?
• How do I enable students to view all the videos on a single YouTube channel?
• Why is an allowed website getting blocked?
• Can I block applications running offline?
• Can I edit a School-Wide Blocking Plan?
• How do I block extensions?
• What is a "bundle"?
• Does Dyknow provide any suggested or pre-made Blocking Plans?
• How do I auto-enforce a Blocking Plan?
• Can I block permanently?

HOW DO I BLOCK A SPECIFIC SITE?

The amount of access students have to websites and their web pages depends on the URLs allowed or blocked by an enforced Blocking Plan. Use full URLs in Dyknow Blocking Plans to specify exactly which pages of a website students can or cannot access during a monitoring session - like a single YouTube video or a Google Forms test.

To block an entire website, enforce a Block Only Blocking Plan that includes the website domain URL.

To block part of a website, enforce a Block Only Blocking Plan that includes the relevant subdomain URL.

To block a single web page, enforce a Block Only Blocking Plan that includes the exact full URL. 

For more information, including URL definitions, read the Blocking Websites section in our Blocking Plans Overview article.

Watch the video below for more examples!

HOW DO I KNOW WHICH WEBSITE URLS TO BLOCK?

Knowing which website URLs to block or allow in a Dyknow Blocking Plan depends on the teacher's expectations about on-task and off-task activity for a specific class, lesson plan, and/or select students.

As a best practice, we recommend that teachers themselves navigate to the same websites and web pages their students will access in order to identify the URLs to enter into a Blocking Plan. It’s important to ensure that the URLs your students will access are exactly the same as the URLs you’re including in your Blocking Plan.

For more information, review the Blocking Websites section of our Blocking Plans Overview article.

HOW DO I PROMOTE INTEGRITY DURING ONLINE TESTING?

Create and enforce an Allow Only Blocking Plan that lists:

• In the Websites field:
  • The full URL for the testing website;
  • Any other domain or subdomain URLs that students will need to use in order to login to the test or login to your Learning Management System (LMS) to access the link to test; and,
• The Web browsers bundle (or a specific web browser) in the Applications field.

When a student has finished taking a test, you can remove their blocking with a Segmented Blocking Plan that won't affect students still testing.

When class has ended, review the resulting Class History data to confirm there are no signs of cheating.

HOW DO I BLOCK PARTS OF GOOGLE?

If you want to block one Google website or web page, without blocking other Google websites/web pages, you can do so by enforcing either an Allow Only Blocking Plan or a Block Only Blocking Plan that includes the relevant URLs.

OPTION 1: ALLOW ONLY BLOCKING PLAN

Enforce an Allow Only Blocking Plan if:

• Students should only have access to the Google websites/web pages you select.
• You would have a significant number of websites to block/list in a Block Only Blocking Plan.

Example: Google Images

I you want to show students one/select image(s) from Google, without allowing student access to Google, you can do so by enforcing an Allow Only Blocking Plan that lists the full URLs for those images in the list of allowed Websites, and a web browser in the list of allowed Applications. If you enforce the Blocking Plan before the students have those URLs, however, they won’t be able to get to them by searching themselves; rather, you’ll need to use our Send a Message feature and send a Custom Message to your students that includes the relevant URLs. Then they’ll know exactly where to go and won’t get blocked by your recently-enforced Blocking Plan.

OPTION 2: BLOCK ONLY BLOCKING PLAN

If you want students to have access to most Google websites/web pages, except one (or even a few), enforce a Block Only Blocking Plan.

Note: If a Dyknow Blocking Plan includes both a full URL and either a domain or subdomain URL of the same domain, only the least specific URL applies.

HOW DO I ENABLE STUDENTS TO VIEW ALL THE VIDEOS ON A SINGLE YOUTUBE CHANNEL?

Each YouTube video, even those within a channel and/or playlist, has a unique full URL (they are not subdomains), and therefore each must be entered into a Blocking Plan to allow or block student access.

Create and enforce an Allow Only Blocking Plan that lists:

• The full URL of each YouTube video within the desired YouTube channel in the Websites field; and,
• The Web browsers bundle (or a specific web browser) in the Applications field.

WHY IS AN ALLOWED WEBSITE GETTING BLOCKED?

Your enforced Blocking Plan might be:

• Missing a URL;
• Using a vanity (shortened) URL;
• Using conflicting URLs (of the same domain); or,
• Missing a web browser.

First, use the Activity Tracker to identify the website or web page getting blocked.

If the URL blocked on a student device should be allowed, double check your enforced Blocking Plan. You probably need to either:

• Add the URL to list of allowed Websites in your enforced Blocking Plan; or,
• Update the list of allowed Websites in your enforced Blocking Plan to include the correct domain or subdomain URL(s).

Note:

• Dyknow Blocking Plans will not accept vanity, or shortened, URLs.
• If a Dyknow Blocking Plan includes both a full URL and either a domain or subdomain URL of the same domain, only the least specific URL applies.

Second, ensure you have also allowed students access to a web browser. Allow Only Blocking Plans that include websites must also include a web browser (e.g. Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari, etc.) or the Web browsers bundle in the list of allowed Applications.

Note: Dyknow does not currently support URL allowing/blocking in the Firefox web browser on student Mac devices. As an alternative, allow a supported browser like Safari or Chrome along with specific websites.

CAN I BLOCK APPLICATIONS RUNNING OFFLINE?

No, student devices must be connected to the internet in order to be monitored and affected by an enforced Blocking Plan in Dyknow.

CAN I EDIT A SCHOOL-WIDE BLOCKING PLAN?

Yes, a Dyknow Teacher can edit a School-Wide Blocking Plan, either temporarily or permanently.

To temporarily edit a School-Wide Blocking Plan during a monitoring session:

1. Navigate to Modify Blocking > Plan
2. Select the desired School-Wide Blocking Plan from the Suggested Blocking Plans section in the Plan list
3. Edit as needed
4. Click Enforce

To permanently edit a School-Wide Blocking Plan during a monitoring session:

5. Follow Steps 1-4 above
6. Click Modify Blocking again
7. Enter a name in the Name field
8. Click Enforce

The twice-edited School-Wide Blocking Plan is now saved for use in future monitoring sessions.

HOW DO I BLOCK EXTENSIONS?

Web browser extensions, like any other application, can be blocked in a Dyknow Blocking Plan. Just because a teacher allows student website activity does not necessarily mean he/she is also allowing access to extensions.

To block student access to web browser extensions:

• With a Block Only Blocking Plan, enter the name of the extension(s) into the Applications field.
• With an Allow Only Blocking Plan, enter Web browsers into the list of allowed Applications to enable students to access the allowed Websites you've listed via any web browser, but none of the web browser's extensions.

WHAT IS A "BUNDLE"?

A bundle is a group of related Websites and/or Applications that can be allowed/blocked by a Dyknow teacher in a Blocking Plan.

To add a bundle to a Blocking Plan, enter the name of that bundle into either the Websites or Applications field of a Blocking Plan. To view the list of websites and/or applications within a bundle, click the downward-facing arrow next to its name.

The following five bundles are currently available for use in Dyknow Blocking Plans: 

1. Common Distractions
   Use this Website/Application bundle in a Block Only Blocking Plan.  Includes hundreds of the most distracting and commonly blocked websites and applications.
   
   
2. Google Snake Game
   Use this Website bundle in a Block Only Blocking Plan.  Includes several full URL searches for the popular Google snake game.  This bundle is also included in the Common Distractions bundle.
   
   
3. Web browsers
   Use this Application bundle in an Allow Only Blocking Plan.  Includes supported browsers (Chrome, Edge, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari).
   
   
4. College Basketball
   Use this Website bundle in a Block Only blocking plan.  Includes common websites used to stream sports and the college basketball tournament.
   
   
5. AI Chat websites
   Use this Website bundle in a Block Only blocking plan.  Includes the most popular AI chatting websites.

Check out our “Blocking Bundles” overview for more on Dyknow Blocking Plan bundles.

DOES DYKNOW PROVIDE SUGGESTED/PRE-MADE BLOCKING PLANS?

Dyknow does not have pre-made Blocking Plans, but we do offer bundles to help teachers quickly and easily build Blocking Plans.

For example, enter Common Distractions into the Websites or Applications field of a Block Only Blocking Plan to quickly and easily block over 300 of the most distracting websites and applications, from games and music to social media and streaming services!

HOW DO I AUTO-ENFORCE A BLOCKING PLAN?

A Blocking Plan can be automatically enforced during a monitoring session if it is assigned as the Default Blocking Plan for a class.

CAN I BLOCK PERMANENTLY?

No, a Blocking Plan cannot be enforced outside of a monitoring session.

However, you can assign a Default Blocking Plan to a class so it will be automatically enforced during any monitoring session for that class!