Google Forms Tutorial
Introduction
Google forms is an application that allows you to get user input. You could use it as a survey, a quiz, a poll, or any other situation that you need to collect information. The results are then stored in a Google Sheet.
When you create a form, there are many types of Form questions:
- short answer
- paragraph
- multiple choice
- checkboxes
- dropdown menu
- linear scale
- multiple choice grid
- Date
- Time
We'll go through these types in more detail below.
GcfLearnFree.org Links to an external site. has a nice Introduction to Forms Links to an external site..
Question Types
| Type | Posibilities |
|---|---|
| short answer | one word or a short phrase "Gary", "productivity software" |
| paragraph | a sentence or more "The most important thing about blah blah blah... . Also, blah blah blah." |
| multiple choice | choose the best option, only one "What is your favorite of these colors?"
|
| checkboxes | choose multiple options |
| dropdown | like multiple choice, but the options are in a drop down menu |
| linear scale | Rate options on a numerical scale 0 1 2 3 4 |
| multiple choice grid | an array of options of which you select one A1 B1 C1 A2 B2 C2 |
| date | pick a date from a calendar |
| time | pick a time of day or length of time "2:30 pm", "5 hours" |
Create a Form
Read through the tutorial below and then create your own two question survey and send it out to a few people.
To start a new Google Form, select the New button in your Google Drive and then select Google Forms if it is available. If it's not, then select more and then Google Forms.
You should then end up at a screen like this, showing a new Google Form.
Give the form a proper title.
You could also add a more detailed description.
Type your first question and select its answer type.
Towards the right, select the plus to add a new question.
Type another question and select its type. Notice here that I selected the multiple choice type and entered the choices. Use add option to extend the choices. It is also a good idea to add "OTHER", so that users can enter an option that you didn't think of.
When you are done adding questions, or any time during, you can change the colors or theme with the color pallet button in the top, right menu. Select a new color, or use the bottom right option there to select a theme.
Once your questions are written and color or theme picked, you can send it out to your audience. You can either email it, get a URL to share, or embed it in a web page. At this point you want to consider if you want to restrict users from filling out the form more than once.
Notice I chose the shorten URL option, to share my Form.
You could use the embed option to have the form appear in a web page like your WordPress blog.
Anywhere along the way here, you could add collaborators, that is, invite others to add and edit questions. Note that this is not the same as sending the form out to be filled out.
Add your instructor as a collaborator to the form.
Google Help Pages
Google has a few good pages to help you get started:
Google Apps Learning Center - Forms Links to an external site.
Google Forms Cheat Sheet Links to an external site.
Create a Survey Using Google Forms Links to an external site.
Add and edit questions, headers, images, videos, and page breaks Links to an external site.
Add a theme or color Links to an external site.
Control navigation to sections of a form Links to an external site.
Choose a form response destination Links to an external site.
Send your form to respondents Links to an external site.
Share your form with collaborators Links to an external site.
Deleting a form or form responses Links to an external site.
Migration of old form themes Links to an external site.
Try the new version of Google Forms Links to an external site.