Stop and Smell the Roses with Mrs. Dankanich

How to Use Google Forms to Automatically Check Student Work

Google Forms are an excellent way to allow students to check their work independently for short answer or multiple choice type questions allowing the teacher to facilitate the activity rather than spending the majority of the time checking student work.

To create a Google Form you will first go into your Google Drive and click + New then Google Form.

Once you have your Google Form created, change the title of the form to something easy for you to identify. I usually just use the problem number and the title of the activity- for example, Problem 1: Washington D.C. Escape. From the drop-down menu choose "short answer" or "multiple choice" because these are the only two that a Google Form can check automatically.

Short Answer Questions: Things to Keep in Mind

These are best for answers that are specific, such as a number or a one-word specific response. These probably aren't the best option if the answer is any longer.
Choose "Response Validation" in the lower right hand corner by clicking the 3 little dots located there, otherwise the student will move ahead regardless of the answer typed in.
When choosing this option for a number, choose "Number" then "Equal to" if the answer is a specific number. I like to remind students to only type the number without a comma or a money sign or label.
Be sure to type in your own comment that comes up if a student's answer is incorrect; otherwise, Google actually tells the student what the answer should be.
It is harder for students to guess the answer for these types of questions.

Multiple-Choice Questions: Things to Keep in Mind

These are better when answers are longer or more complicated for students to type themselves.
Choose "Go to section based on answer" in the lower right hand corner by clicking the three dots located there. This requires students to choose the correct answer before moving on to the next section of your form.
For the correct response, choose "continue to next section" beside the answer
For an incorrect response, choose "Go to section 1." This will keep students on the current screen and won't allow them to advance until they have chosen the correct response.
It is easier for students to guess the correct answer on multiple choice questions, so you may want to require students to show their work if that is possible for the question they are completing.

What's next? Adding a section

After you have figured out what type of question you want students to answer, you need to decide what you want students to do next. There are a few different options for you, depending what type of activity you are creating.

First, see the image below to add a new section. After adding a new section, see some examples of "what to do next" options.

If you plan on using ONE QR code that students scan first, check out the following:

If you want your students to complete the problems or tasks you set out for them in a specific order, you will want students to scan only one QR code. Students will have to complete the form starting with the first task and will only continue forward if their answer is correct.

To learn how to create a QR code for a Google Form or Any Google Drive File click here.

Option 1- Problems Follow Each Other (Easiest Prep)

For this option, you can simply make the next section your next problem. You can choose whether you want the problem to be multiple choice or short answer. In this case, you can print out the problems for the students to solve on paper so they only have to input their answers into the Google Form. If you are doing this, just continue to add sections until the activity is complete. For the last section include text or a picture that says, "Congratulations!" or something to that effect so students know they have completed the activity.

Option 2- Problem then Secret Number or Code

This is a fun option for students that involves them figuring out a secret code by the end of the activity. For this option, you should insert your first problem normally. Then for the next section the secret number or code is revealed to the students.

You will need to add a new section in your form each time you insert a new question or code.

After students collect the number, they can click "Next" to advance to the next problem you have for them.

For your final question, require students to enter all the secret numbers they have collected from the problems. Then add a final screen that says, "Congratulations!" or some phrase or image that lets them know they have finished the task.

If you plan on using a new QR code for each problem or embedding your form in a Google Site:

If you want students to be able to complete the tasks in any order, you can make an individual Google Form for each problem, which requires you to make an individual QR code for each task as well. While this is more work initially, it is sometimes nice to allow students to complete the tasks in any order they choose. This works well if you create task cards that you want to spread around your room because it allows students to spread out.

Similarly, this is the option you will want to use if you plan on embedding the Google Form into a Google Site you have created. If you are having students check their answers to each task before moving to the next page in your site, you will need to create a new Google Form for each question.

To learn how to create a QR code for a Google Form or Any Google Drive File click here.

Option 1- Problem Only

For this option, as explained above, you will want to create a Google Form that is either a multiple-choice question or a short-answer question. If you follow the directions above when making these problems students will only be able to submit their answers when the correct response has been given. While this is an easy Google Form to create, it is more difficult for the teacher to verify that students have submitted all of their responses, which is why I lean toward using Option 2 (see below) when creating my Google Forms for these types of activities.

Option 2- Problem with Secret Code or direction

For this option, you will create a Google Form that has either a multiple-choice question or a short-answer question as explained at the top of this page. After creating the question, I add a section as explain above as well. In the second section, I say something like "Well done!" and then either give the student a secret number or a direction, such as, "Click on the...." if they are completing the activity on a Google Site. If students were solving a mystery, this part could give them a clue to help them solve the mystery as well- the options are endless!

Remember- you will have to create a new form for each problem that you create.

See below for an example of a form that gives students directions when they submit a correct response. I embedded this form in a Google Site, so it tells them which picture to click to get to the next task.

Google Sites

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