Index: lams_tool_notebook/conf/hibernate/mappings/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/notebook/model/Notebook.hbm.xml
===================================================================
diff -u -r65efb0abb529cafc1977e284e2c9a4ed33722334 -rdba506c6b1663eba922793a44b6ad5726f2931d1
--- lams_tool_notebook/conf/hibernate/mappings/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/notebook/model/Notebook.hbm.xml	(.../Notebook.hbm.xml)	(revision 65efb0abb529cafc1977e284e2c9a4ed33722334)
+++ lams_tool_notebook/conf/hibernate/mappings/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/notebook/model/Notebook.hbm.xml	(.../Notebook.hbm.xml)	(revision dba506c6b1663eba922793a44b6ad5726f2931d1)
@@ -59,6 +59,15 @@
             column="title"
             length="255"
         />
+        
+         <property
+            name="forceResponse"
+            type="boolean"
+            update="true"
+            insert="true"
+            column="force_response"
+            length="1"
+        />
 
         <property
             name="instructions"
Index: lams_tool_notebook/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/notebook/dbupdates/patch20161123.sql
===================================================================
diff -u
--- lams_tool_notebook/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/notebook/dbupdates/patch20161123.sql	(revision 0)
+++ lams_tool_notebook/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/notebook/dbupdates/patch20161123.sql	(revision dba506c6b1663eba922793a44b6ad5726f2931d1)
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+-- Turn off autocommit, so nothing is committed if there is an error
+SET AUTOCOMMIT = 0;
+SET FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS=0;
+----------------------Put all sql statements below here-------------------------
+
+-- LDEV-4063 Force student response
+ALTER TABLE tl_lantbk11_notebook ADD COLUMN force_response bit DEFAULT 0;
+
+----------------------Put all sql statements above here-------------------------
+
+-- If there were no errors, commit and restore autocommit to on
+COMMIT;
+SET AUTOCOMMIT = 1;
+SET FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS=1;
\ No newline at end of file
Index: lams_tool_notebook/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/notebook/dto/NotebookDTO.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r326a22552c270b321496ebb84887c1124f1881f1 -rdba506c6b1663eba922793a44b6ad5726f2931d1
--- lams_tool_notebook/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/notebook/dto/NotebookDTO.java	(.../NotebookDTO.java)	(revision 326a22552c270b321496ebb84887c1124f1881f1)
+++ lams_tool_notebook/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/notebook/dto/NotebookDTO.java	(.../NotebookDTO.java)	(revision dba506c6b1663eba922793a44b6ad5726f2931d1)
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@
     public boolean allowRichEditor;
 
     public boolean lockOnFinish;
+    
+    public boolean forceResponse;
 
     public Date submissionDeadline;
 
@@ -60,6 +62,7 @@
 	contentInUse = notebook.isContentInUse();
 	allowRichEditor = notebook.isAllowRichEditor();
 	lockOnFinish = notebook.isLockOnFinished();
+	forceResponse = notebook.isForceResponse();
 
 	for (Iterator iter = notebook.getNotebookSessions().iterator(); iter.hasNext();) {
 	    NotebookSession session = (NotebookSession) iter.next();
@@ -125,7 +128,15 @@
     public void setLockOnFinish(boolean lockOnFinish) {
 	this.lockOnFinish = lockOnFinish;
     }
+    
+    public boolean isForceResponse() {
+        return forceResponse;
+    }
 
+    public void setForceResponse(boolean forceResponse) {
+        this.forceResponse = forceResponse;
+    }
+
     /**
      * @return the submissionDeadline
      */
Index: lams_tool_notebook/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/notebook/model/Notebook.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r2f725f8ef2aa09a2663b2335bf67213074426d11 -rdba506c6b1663eba922793a44b6ad5726f2931d1
--- lams_tool_notebook/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/notebook/model/Notebook.java	(.../Notebook.java)	(revision 2f725f8ef2aa09a2663b2335bf67213074426d11)
+++ lams_tool_notebook/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/notebook/model/Notebook.java	(.../Notebook.java)	(revision dba506c6b1663eba922793a44b6ad5726f2931d1)
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@
     private String title;
 
     private String instructions;
+    
+    private boolean forceResponse;
 
     private boolean lockOnFinished;
 
@@ -159,7 +161,21 @@
     public void setLockOnFinished(boolean lockOnFinished) {
 	this.lockOnFinished = lockOnFinished;
     }
+    
+    /**
+    *
+    *
+    */
 
+    public boolean isForceResponse() {
+        return forceResponse;
+    }
+
+    public void setForceResponse(boolean forceResponse) {
+        this.forceResponse = forceResponse;
+    }
+
+
     /**
      *
      * @return
Index: lams_tool_notebook/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/notebook/web/actions/AuthoringAction.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r2f725f8ef2aa09a2663b2335bf67213074426d11 -rdba506c6b1663eba922793a44b6ad5726f2931d1
--- lams_tool_notebook/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/notebook/web/actions/AuthoringAction.java	(.../AuthoringAction.java)	(revision 2f725f8ef2aa09a2663b2335bf67213074426d11)
+++ lams_tool_notebook/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/notebook/web/actions/AuthoringAction.java	(.../AuthoringAction.java)	(revision dba506c6b1663eba922793a44b6ad5726f2931d1)
@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@
 	notebook.setTitle(authForm.getTitle());
 	notebook.setInstructions(authForm.getInstructions());
 	if (mode.isAuthor()) { // Teacher cannot modify following
+	    notebook.setForceResponse(authForm.isForceResponse());
 	    notebook.setLockOnFinished(authForm.isLockOnFinished());
 	    notebook.setAllowRichEditor(authForm.isAllowRichEditor());
 
@@ -211,6 +212,7 @@
 	authForm.setTitle(notebook.getTitle());
 	authForm.setInstructions(notebook.getInstructions());
 	authForm.setLockOnFinished(notebook.isLockOnFinished());
+	authForm.setForceResponse(notebook.isForceResponse());
 	authForm.setAllowRichEditor(notebook.isAllowRichEditor());
 
     }
Index: lams_tool_notebook/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/notebook/web/actions/LearningAction.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r2f725f8ef2aa09a2663b2335bf67213074426d11 -rdba506c6b1663eba922793a44b6ad5726f2931d1
--- lams_tool_notebook/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/notebook/web/actions/LearningAction.java	(.../LearningAction.java)	(revision 2f725f8ef2aa09a2663b2335bf67213074426d11)
+++ lams_tool_notebook/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/notebook/web/actions/LearningAction.java	(.../LearningAction.java)	(revision dba506c6b1663eba922793a44b6ad5726f2931d1)
@@ -116,6 +116,8 @@
 	notebookDTO.instructions = notebook.getInstructions();
 	notebookDTO.allowRichEditor = notebook.isAllowRichEditor();
 	notebookDTO.lockOnFinish = notebook.isLockOnFinished();
+	notebookDTO.forceResponse = notebook.isForceResponse();
+	
 
 	request.setAttribute("notebookDTO", notebookDTO);
 
Index: lams_tool_notebook/web/pages/learning/notebook.jsp
===================================================================
diff -u -r65a41bd80f751917e945f17beb5f0d34926066ac -rdba506c6b1663eba922793a44b6ad5726f2931d1
--- lams_tool_notebook/web/pages/learning/notebook.jsp	(.../notebook.jsp)	(revision 65a41bd80f751917e945f17beb5f0d34926066ac)
+++ lams_tool_notebook/web/pages/learning/notebook.jsp	(.../notebook.jsp)	(revision dba506c6b1663eba922793a44b6ad5726f2931d1)
@@ -2,13 +2,14 @@
 
 <script type="text/javascript">
 	var mode = "${mode}";
+	var forceResponse = "${notebookDTO.forceResponse}";
 
 	function disableFinishButton() {
 		document.getElementById("finishButton").disabled = true;
 	}
 
 	function validateForm() {
-
+	
 		// Validates that there's input from the user. 
 
 		// disables the Finish button to avoid double submittion 
@@ -37,6 +38,16 @@
 	}
 
 	function submitForm(methodName) {
+		if (forceResponse =="true" && document.learningForm.focusedInput.value == "") {
+			if (confirm("<fmt:message>message.learner.blank.alertforceResponse</fmt:message>")) {
+				return true;
+			} else {
+				// otherwise, focus on the text area
+				document.learningForm.entryText.focus();
+				document.getElementById("finishButton").disabled = false;
+				return false;
+			}
+		} 
 		var f = document.getElementById('messageForm');
 		f.submit();
 	}