Google Docs: Forms
Need to survey people, or want your students to administer a survey? Want to make online quizzes for students? Or even better: have students make their own quizzes for each other to demonstrate what they know? Then look no further than Forms in Google Docs.
Do you send out an email whenever you need to gather info from people? This Google video illustrates the hard work of compiling data using the email method. Can you say management nightmare? đ
Creating a form that is online and gathers data for me to analyze (with graphics!) right in Google Docs is slick. It looks so professional, and then to be able to download the data into Excel makes it even better.
Try out this sample one that has been embedded below:
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What will you need to do to get started making your own? First, you need to create a Google account or log into an existing one. From there you need to get into Documents and create a new Form.
I found this how-to use a Google Form to create an online quiz video on Wesley Fryer’s blog originally. It’s very easy to follow. You can use this video to create a survey, too. Looking to go one more step and have the form act as a self-grading quiz? Then you’ll want to check this screencast out as well.
There is one possible hurdle to overcome: Google accounts for younger students. The good news is that you don’t need an account or email to fill out a form or take a quiz. The form or quiz can be embedded or linked on a teacher’s web page or blog for students to access. All of the results go to the teacher’s or creator’s spreadsheet in Google Docs. If you want younger students to create their own surveys or quizzes and collect the information, you will need to set up Google accounts for them. Instead of managing all of those accounts, create a handful for your class and have students work in groups. Changing the passwords allows you to keep using those accounts with new students.
Google Forms are practical, yet cool. They will gather data, but also encourage the critical thinking of design. The integration possibilities are starting to take shape in my head…I’m thinking a choose your own adventure… How will you use them?
Resources to check out:
AHSÂ Google Form Ideas (submitted by a Form!)
After seeing a little of what you can create in Google docs, it seems like the possibilities are endless. I was thinking it would be nice at the beginning of the year to have a laptop or two set up during curriculum night and have parents fill a form that would give me contact info. This way I don’t have to search for it in iPass or try to decipher handwriting. I really like the idea of info gathered from the transfered to an excel spread sheet. Currently, I’m in the middle of creating a content test that students could take. It would be nice to know if anyone else has tried this before and if it has worked or not.
What a great idea for Curriculum Night! I think there are a ton of teacher tasks that would be so much easier with forms. Make sure you check out the resources on this post, especially AHS Google Form Ideas. That may lead you to some good examples.
Thanks for the walkthrough. This will be very helpful to many people in my building. Great job. @thenerdyteacher
I’m nervous about being the one who ‘activates’ a live email account for my 3rd graders. I’ve really like Moodle because it provides a security wall from the outside www and yet allows students to do most of what seems to be available with Google docs.
I realize that most of my students already have a web based email address, but I’m still hesitant about ‘requiring’ one to participate. Is there a way to give a student an ‘inactive’ email that still works with Google docs?
Thanks!
I need to learn more about Moodle. Do you have any good resources?
I, too, am uncomfortable with email at this age level without it being monitored closely. I still have not found a way around email in Google Docs. I really like the way that I can set up accounts through other services like Edublogs using only one Gmail address (and the Gmail hack) that goes directly to the adult in charge.
I had to make up a quiz as an assignment for agraduate course. I wish I had known about Google Forms. It would have been much easier and more professional!