Why You Should Use Google Forms for Online Learning

If you're like many teachers across the nation, your school has either closed for several weeks or is out of session for the remainder of the year. To say the least, the move to online learning is a daunting task even for the most tech savvy of us out there. How do we continue to provide learning opportunities for our students using technology? One easy way is using Google Forms.

Let's make sure we're all on the same page first. Google Forms is a web-based app and part of Google Suite used to create forms for data collection purposes which is perfect for assessing student understanding. I've used Google Forms to make online worksheets, quizzes, and surveys for my students. Here are three reasons why you should be using Forms in your virtual classroom.

Easy Access for Students

The beauty of Forms is it lets you and your students collect data using multiple methods. Once I created a form, I gave my students access through a shared link on Google Classroom, my class website, or their student email account. This gives you several options for sharing the resource with your kiddos depending on the platform your school is using. If you have students without technology, simply print and send home a paper copy in your distance learning packets. You are also able to create a paper/pencil worksheet by converting the form into a PDF file using Google Chrome.

Collection of Student Responses and Grades

One of the best things about using Google Forms is my students' answers were recorded on a spreadsheet making it easy and quick for me to collect and assess their understanding of key concepts and skills. I used that information to make decisions about future lessons and learning experiences. In the spreadsheet, you see the questions and how the student responded. If they missed a question, their answer is highlighted or in bold making it simple to view the most missed question at a glance.

Copy and Paste Questions from Existing Documents

One way I saved time in creating a form was to copy and paste questions from my existing documents and worksheets. Let's say I had a handout on identifying complete sentences and wanted to convert that to a form. I opened the document, copied the question, pasted it into the form question and then did the same for the answer choices. There were times when I changed up the format somewhat, but this trick saved me a lot of time. And you're not going to create a 20-question form anyway. I would stick with 5 to 10 questions especially for online learning.

Get Started with Forms

Of course the easiest way is to use ready-made forms that save you time, and I've got you covered! Grab my Digital ELA Daily Skills Resource that includes one month of skills practice in reading, writing, grammar, usage, mechanics, and vocabulary. All of the work has been done for you. Just share it with your students.

Probably the best way to learn about Forms is to fill one out, so here is one you can complete to get an idea of what they are all about. General reading/book survey Try it out for yourself!

Want to use this with your students? Get the survey for your classroom here.

That's all for me today. Stay well and reach out if I can help you with online and distance learning.

Happy teaching!