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An Interactive Questionnaire Tool
An Interactive Questionnaire Tool
1. What is Google Forms?
1. What is Google Forms?
Google forms was released as a "stand-alone application" in 2016, essentially designed as a form builder or survey meant to capture a target audience's feedback using real-time response charts and graphs. Initially, it was part of Google Sheets back in 2008.
As part of the Google Workspace, Forms is a collaborative application much like the other applications part of the Google Suite, such as Docs. Once data has been collected, it can be compiled and saved in a spreadsheet (Google Sheets). Depending on the widget selected, responses can be visualized in either a bar graph or pie chart.
The FAQ section is straightforward and explains what can be done with the application. In addition, it is a free online application that anyone with a Google account can start building a form. Plus, unlike other form applications, there is no limit on the number of participants that can be sent a form using the embed feature or by generating a link and emailing participants.
2. Testing Out Google Forms
2. Testing Out Google Forms
Using Google Forms as a Teacher
Using Google Forms as a Teacher
I started using Google Forms several years ago in the classroom to create interactive activities with my students. I came across it when looking for a way to access my lessons online since I would plan at home and then need to access my work on the school computer and connect to the interactive boards. I also wanted to avoid printing worksheets beforehand, create more organization in lesson delivery, and keep my students from shuffling through paper and subsequently losing worksheets. Plus, since I was teaching multiple levels, I needed to quickly reproduce worksheets for multiple levels and different classes using the same theme. I found Google Classroom and Google Forms.
My Google Form Examples
Here is an example of how I have used Google Forms. One of my favorite activities is here in this link for a cooperative extension activity on learning how to use modal verbs when expressing an opinion and functional language used in negotiations. I found Google Forms easy to use, and for this activity, I did not need to refer to the FAQs page. I recreated this form to capture students’ responses to Graffiti and added a video and link to a website. I included a video of my original activity and how I reviewed students' responses as a follow-up to the activity.
For the second example that I created this week, I chose to build a consolidation activity (essentially a quiz) to test student knowledge on simple past tense questions and answers. This meant that I needed to watch a video on how to create a quiz that would auto-mark and give feedback directly to the students. Here is a quick video on some of the features I found useful while creating my example and a link to the form.
With this activity, students can see their responses and the corrections as soon as they have submitted the form. I also included a link to review how to form simple past tense questions.
The Advantage of Using Google Forms (Its Strengths)
The Advantage of Using Google Forms (Its Strengths)
Google Forms has a clean and straightforward web-based interface that is user-friendly. With pre-set themes (20 in total), it is unlike many form builders that are complicated and hard to navigate through the widgets. Instead, Google Forms has just enough widgets: multiple choice, drop-down, checkboxes to create an interactive form. There is a standard selection of themes and fonts, plus a file upload and YouTube widget to make finding and adding videos straightforward for someone who is new to interactive questionnaires.
Additionally, the drag and drop feature makes it fast to reorder questions. The print and download functions are helpful to store responses, and the option to clear the form by deleting all the responses means that the form can quickly be reused without duplicating the form or combining results. Furthermore, since forms can be duplicated, it is quick to recreate and reuse a preexisting template. Google has simple share options, and thus, collaborators can be added in addition to a series of ‘add-ons’ widgets. One new feature is that responses can be edited if the form creator enables this feature. There is also the autosave feature which means that when a user is signed into their Google account, the form will autosave their work for thirty days until it has been submitted.
The Limitations of Using Google Forms (Its Weaknesses)
The Limitations of Using Google Forms (Its Weaknesses)
Form creators need to have a Gmail account; although this is relatively standard today, it may not appeal to all potential users. Although professional and clean-looking, the interface is limited, having only four font choices, four choices for the background type, and a standard header with a personalized image that can be added. The template layout is thus identical, apart from changes to the font or color options, to every form which limits design customization. In addition, the download feature is limited because there is a standard layout for printing the responses without a sort option unless the data is downloaded into a Google Sheets file and then manually sorted. The interface and straightforward widgets have a standardized feel. For some purposes, Google Forms is less appealing and lively than Kahoot, which is timed and geared towards competition.
3. Using Google Forms in an ESL Classroom
3. Using Google Forms in an ESL Classroom
How this tool can be used in your ESL Classroom
How this tool can be used in your ESL Classroom
Google Forms is one of the most versatile tools for teaching because it can be used for both primary and secondary students, individually or in cooperative activities. As part of the Google Suite, it works seamlessly into Google Classroom; thus, once an activity has been created, it can even be graded using Classroom's marking scheme. The share feature is ideal for collaborating with other teachers. Google itself provides a detailed look into a multitude of uses in the classroom.
Diverse activities can be created as stand-alone or enrichment activities using Google Forms. For example, a teacher can capture students' opinions using text or paragraphs or by creating a survey for feedback on a project, a text, simply to have a question answered. Another use is creating a quiz with multiple-choice or checkboxes to test students' prior knowledge of a past lesson. Overall, Google Forms is a fast way for a teacher to create an enrichment activity that quickly accompanies a lesson.
Furthermore, the duplication feature is an advantage for teachers who teach different ESL levels as activities can be adjusted for multiple classes and levels. Lindsay Anne discusses how Forms can be used for differentiation in the second language classroom, where students can work on different tasks depending on their needs.
In my opinion, activities created in Google Forms can target all three Quebec curriculum competencies (C1, C2, C3) as there are options for individual and group discussion questions, creating reading comprehension questions, and producing short and long written tests.
Below, I have provided some examples of using this tool in my ESL classroom:
Short Discussion or Debate: A cooperative group activity discussing and providing written answers to questions. Students can quickly see their peers ' responses by sharing the responses on an interactive board, and a class discussion ensues.
Warm-up Questions: A preview to a lesson where students give their opinion based on a teacher's pre-reading questions.
A survey, an ice-breaker activity, or a whole class quiz/game
A Worksheet: Students submit their answers to based on a reading
A quiz: For vocabulary review using the drop-down option or multiple-choice feature that marks automatically
Student-Created Projects: Students create their own interview form to accompany a research project.
Research on the Implications of Interactive Questionnaires
Research on the Implications of Interactive Questionnaires
Creating Motivation and Improved Student Confidence in the Language Class
Creating Motivation and Improved Student Confidence in the Language Class
Yoka Kita explored the use of Google Forms in his paper to correlate ICTs to students' motivation suggesting that the quick feedback in real-time positively influenced students' attitude towards second language learning and improved students' confidence when learning. The research suggests that using a flipped classroom, having students watch the videos (embedded in Forms) at home to introduce the content allows students to have more time for project-based learning and collaborative activities in class. This idea of a flipped classroom has also been explained by John David Eick on his website. Additionally, surveys created by teachers are web-based, thus responses are not paper-based facilitating data compilation and the opportunity for data to be visualized using charts and graphs. The study also focussed on using smartphones and review quizzes generated by Google Forms and students' reactions to this method. From the results, students had a positive experience and mentioned that they were more highly motivated to complete these types of quizzes.
Teaching Tools Used and Suggested by Teachers
Teaching Tools Used and Suggested by Teachers
Using Google Forms also allows a more paperless classroom and facilitates classroom organization. On the website Techno kids, Christa Love lists 5 Reasons to Use Google Forms with Your Students. She lists the data validation rule in Forms, which ensures that students submit an answer to questions. Personally, I always include a question to include their name or group number so that answers are only anonymous by choice.
Ditch that Textbook blog also lists 25 uses for Google Forms, including brainstorming in a group for students and setting up flipped classroom activities using reading comprehension questions.
Teaching Videos Using Google Forms
Teaching Videos Using Google Forms
I have included a few videos on how other teachers have incorporated Google Forms into the classroom.
The first is a simple quiz that can be set up within about 15 minutes, much like the form I created above.
The second is a self-graded quiz that is useful for individual student learning and self-assessment.
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