Need to gather information easily? Try Google forms!

Our district now has Google Apps For Education (GAFE).  I have a difficult time answering the question, "Which App is the most useful?" I am really enjoying docs, presentations and drawings. When I need to assess students or gather information from students or staff, I use forms.

I am able to write my items in a variety of formats. Here are check boxes, a text field and multiple choice options. The red asterisk indicates the item is required. I find it really handy because students are unable to submit their responses if they leave a question unanswered. In this way, they never inadvertently miss giving a response.

A recent improvement to forms is the ability to drag images onto the items. It greatly expands the kinds of information you can share with your audience. I used Skitch to label a photograph to help students practice their search skills. Think of the possibilities in using images for math, geography, science and art.

While it is easy to write and edit the items in a form, the ability to automatically collect all responses in a Google spreadsheet is a huge time saver! Instead of looking at a stack of quizzes, surveys or assignments, you can view all responses on one screen. I love being able to compare all responses to the same item at a glance.

We collect teacher feedback after all school-wide professional development sessions. I used a Google form for our most recent session as a way to introduce the use of forms to our staff. 

When done creating your form, choose where you want the responses to go. I usually select a new spreadsheet, which will be named as the form is. Double check to make sure "Accepting responses" is showing.


How have you used forms in your classroom? How might you?