Form

With a Google form you can ask just about anything you want of the world. The form appears immediately online in a web page and is accessible to anyone who has the URL, whether they got it directly from you or it has been forwarded from person to person. There's no guaranteed that you'll get any responses at all or who exactly they are from, but it is a great way to collect data. For this project, we'll just distribute the URLs within the classroom and you'll have a chance to vote on the best form among those from all your peers. We'll also take a peek at the spreadsheet that collects the responses and the capability of the system to summarize them.

Instructions

You have already been on the receiving end of at two or three forms in this class. There was an early practice quiz, a self-evaluation of your Equation Editor project, and a recent election-day or day after ITCA Election form. You will also see a demonstration of the teacher creating a form and we will repeat that if necessary before you are off to tackle the rest yourself. Therefore, the instructions here will be very brief and concentrate on the end product rather than how to get there.

Note: for some reason of human nature, there is a tendency to include inappropriate questions on these kinds of forms. Just don't do it. Your peers, parents, teachers, and staff are in particular off limits. Your online behavior should be becoming of a BASIS student.

• 1. Log onto Google however you can, find Documents, and create a new Form. The form is automatically given a name based on what you type in the first line, so to avoid having to change it later, give it a good name from the start. When all the forms are later collected from everyone and listed on a web page, this name will be used to identify your form (rather than the long URL). Don't use your name for the form (or anywhere in it) because we want people to pick the best one without knowing who it belongs to. Pick a name that describes the content in some way.

  2. Write questions that can be answered or commands that can be followed by filling in each one of the kinds of controls offered: text, paragraph text, multiple choice (radio buttons), checkboxes, choose from a list, scale, and grid. There should be at least seven in all. For some, such as multiple choice, you will have to provide answers from which to choose. Additionally write for at least one question a help text and require at least one of the questions to be answered. Choosing a different theme is worth extra credit. You are of course free to compose additional questions or even forms if you'd like.

  3. "You can view the published form here:" should appear at the bottom of the screen. A URL follows. Mail that URL along with the title of your form to the instructor so that yours can be added to the list. This can be done by copying and pasting the URL (and title) into an email message manually. Alternatively, you can use the button "Email this form." You don't get to write the body of the message, so make sure that the name of the form is in the subject line. This information will help me admire your work and also enable your classmates to see your form.

  4. Your form is automatically saved periodically and the Saved button is disabled if there are no changes that need to be communicated with the server. If you are about to change pages, press Save if necessary. When your form is complete (and saved), return to the Documents page and make sure it appears in the list of items owned by you. Make sure the name matches the title and change the name to match if necessary. Click on the document to open up the spreadsheet that will contain your answers and admire it.

  5. There is a Share button in the upper right corner of the window. Use it to "Set notification rules." Set them to notify you right away by email when a user submits a form. This way you'll notice if you collect any information. From the Form menu you can go to the live form. Fill out your form and make sure it works as intended. After you submit it, look for the resulting email and observe the update to the spreadsheet.

  6. Again via the Share button go to "Sharing settings..." Add people who can view your document. Among viewers include basistasks@keithalcock.com and make sure that "Send email notifications" is checked.

Delivery

There are no files to deliver, but an email with the URL and title is expected. I should also receive an email from Google when you add me as a viewer of the form. This will indicate that your work is complete and is ready to be added to the class list of forms.

Grading

Be certain to complete the following tasks while you are working in order to collect all the points you deserve. They measure how much of the required functionality you have exercised. You may always do more than this and there is one explicit extra credit point available.

• • Title the form properly (1)

  • Email form title and URL (1)

  • Create questions or commands for each of 7 controls (7)

  • Create answers or responses for the 5 appropriate controls (5)

  • Write at least one help text (1)

  • Require at least one answer (1)

  • Choose a different theme (1 extra credit)

  • Fill in your own form once (1)

  • Add me as viewer (1)