Google Forms Tips (Part 1)

Google Form Tips (Part 1)

Google forms has so many uses. It can be used for assessment, surveys, polls, elections, gathering contact information, hooks for lessons, and much more. Today, we are going to explore some of the Google Form features that can help you maximize teaching and learning within your classroom. 

1)Template Gallery:

Google forms provides you with a template gallery to create a variety of forms you may use within your classroom. You can find templates for exit tickets, blank quizzes, worksheets, evaluations, RSVP, contact information, etc. Use this link to find a variety of templates: 

Google Forms Template Gallery

2)Sections:

You can organize your form into sections. This can help chunk your assignment. For example, if you have a longer assessment which contains vocabulary, multiple choice, short answer, and essay, each of these items can be a section. We always have the student that flips through the test to see how many questions there are and then becomes overwhelmed and anxious. Creating sections can help prevent this.

To create sections, look at the menu options on the right side of the form. After your last question in a section, click the two lines that look like an equal sign  

This creates your new section. Give it a title and description, then begin creating your questions for that section. 

3)Create a Password:

You can lock your form so that students aren't able to access it until they have typed in the password you give them. Create a short answer question and then you will have access to response validation. If it doesn't automatically populate when you type in your question, such as "enter password," click on the three dots in the bottom right of the question. Click response validation which will put a check mark beside it. 

You will have a few options to create your password. It can be a number, text, length, or regular expression. 

• Number: If you choose to have your password as a number, you have a few options in the drop down menu next to number. My recommendation is to use is number, meaning whatever number you type in will be the password. The other options would be for other math forms.

• Text: Again, you will have a few option in the drop down menu next to text. I recommend using contains, as this will require them to type the password exactly how you have it. If you capitalize a letter, they have to capitalize it too. 

• Regular Expression: In the drop down next to regular expression, you will want to choose matches. 

For all of these options, you can change the custom error text. This is what will appear if students type the password incorrectly. After you create your password, click on the new section icon on the side, which means students won't see any of your questions until they correctly enter the password. 

Tutorial Video for Password Protecting a Google Form

4)Add pictures/videos:

You have the ability to add pictures and videos to your questions. For example, you could add a graph and have the students answer questions from that. You could also add in a YouTube video explaining a concept and have students answer questions or write a response to it. I've used the video function to help with math after I have explained a concept and my students are to complete an independent practice. They can watch the video if they need extra assistance while working on the questions. 

*Note: You can only insert a YouTube video into your form. If it is one you video yourself, you can upload it into your own YouTube channel and make it restricted so that only people with the link can view it. 

5)Ways to send your form:

There are a few different ways you can send your Google Form. You can upload it directly into Google Classroom, but you can also email it or embed it within a website/email. 

If you click the send button in the top right corner, it will give you the following options:

• Send via email: You can send the as an email straight from this week. If you want the form included in the email and not just have a link, check the box that says include form in email. Fill out the rest of your email how you would like. 

• Copy and paste the link: This is the second button at the top that looks like this You can copy and paste the URL into anywhere you would like (emails, Google Docs, Google Slides, PDF's, etc.). You also have the option to shorten the URL so it isn't as long. Click the check box that says shorten URL. It will populate a short link in the link spot that you can copy and paste.
  
  

  

   
• Embed HTML: If you want to embed a form directly into a website, you will use the embed option. Click on the third option that looks like this: 
  Once you have your website open that you want to embed the Google Form in, just find the embed option with the website and paste the link in there. Now, anyone who views that web page will be able to complete your form. If you have a class website through Google Sites, this would be an option. For example, if you wanted to embed a sign-up sheet for a class party you could direct parents to fill out the form on that page. 

Want some ideas/free templates for Google Forms? Check out this link for 25 ways to use Google Forms in school!