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Take Advantage of the Power of Google Forms for Perfect Rubrics

Diana Benner | Jan. 17, 2016 | Google Tips and Tricks

During a recent Google Educator Level I training, a participant asked, “Have you ever used a Google Form to create a rubric?” No one in the training, including myself, had ever used Google Forms this way.

We all agreed that rubrics are great for students. Rubrics clearly communicate what is expected and give students the opportunity to do a self-assessment to reflect on their learning process. In the past, I’ve had students evaluate their own and their peers’ performance using rubrics. What I particularly like about using rubrics is that they can be customized to suit any classroom activity. Had I created my rubrics in Google Forms, my life would have been so much easier.

Below are a few ways to create rubrics in Google Forms.

Use Grid-Type Questions

Using grids is typically how most rubrics are set up. When the user completes this type of rubric, he will be presented with a grid of rows and columns and will need to click a single cell to place his response for each row.

To create a grid-type rubric:

1. Create a Google Form and enter a title.
2. Type in your overall question, directions, or topic that will apply to each question in the grid (for example, Presentation Rubric).
3. Select the grid-type question.
4. For the columns, enter your rubric scale. For example, 4 = Excellent.
5. For the rows, enter your rubric criteria. For example, Student presents information in logical sequence.
6. Click Done and preview your form.

Click here to see my rubric using a grid-type question.

Use Scale-Type Questions

Using scales is another way to set up your rubric. When the user completes this type of rubric, he will be presented with a scale of values on which to place his response.

To create a scale-type rubric:

1. Create a Google Form and enter a title.
2. Type in your overall question, criteria, or topic that will apply to the scale (for example, Organization).
3. Enter help text, if needed, to help identify point values of the scale.
4. Select the scale-type question.
5. Add your scale by entering a starting point (0 or 1) and an ending point (up to 10) for your scale.
6. Next, add values for the starting point, such as Disorganized and add values for the ending point, such as Very Organized.
7. Click Done and preview your form.

Click here to see my rubric using scale-type questions.

Other Items to Add to Your Form

Some other helpful items to add to your form at the beginning include:

1. The name of the evaluator
2. The class period
3. A unique identifier (a code or number assigned to the student who is being evaluated)

Make these required questions by checking the box at the bottom of the question. That way, these questions won’t accidently be skipped.

Collecting Responses

As you most likely know, one of the beautiful features of Google Forms is that it automatically collects responses in a Google Sheet. Once all responses have been collected, you can then add formulas and sort the data in order to analyze it.

Now’s the time to stop using paper rubrics, like I once did. Try re-creating them in Google Forms. If you are already creating rubrics in Google Forms, I’d love to hear from you. Share your examples with me at dbenner@tcea.org.