Google Forms in an online data collection tool.  It can be used to collect survey responses, or to automatically mark multiple choice tests and quizzes.  It is capable of branching questions paths, allowing for the answer to one question to drive the next line of questioning.

As with any powerful tool, it can be somewhat complex.  By approaching the program through this step-by-step tutorial you will find yourself both familiarized, and ready to approach everything that Google Forms has to offer.

To begin, navigate your web browser to http://forms.google.com

Introduction to Google Forms

In this part I hope to familiarize you with the basic features of Google Forms.  Before you embark on creating and collecting data from your own forms, it is important to understand what the capabilities and limitations of the tool you are using are.

Understanding the Home Screen

Dropdown Menu

The Dropdown Menu allows you to access the other primary Google Tools (Docs, Sheets, and Slides).  It also allows you to access the basic settings for Google Forms, as well as your Google Drive.  Finally, you will also find a searchable help section here.

Create New Form

Clicking on this button will take you to the New Form Screen.  For more on the New Form Screen see the section Chapter 2: Creating a Basic Form.

Suggested Templates

For those who do not want to start with a blank form, there are a number of suggested templates that Google Forms thinks might be helpful for your needs.  Clicking on a template builds a pre-made form, waiting to be edited for your specific purposes.

Template Gallery

There are a number of additional templates built into Google Forms.  By clicking on the Template
Gallery option, you will be able to view, and choose

from, a number of templates.  They are sorted by Education, Personal, and Work.

Additional Menus

There are a number of additional menus that are common to all Google Suites.  From left to right they are, The Google Apps menu, which allows you to view all the programs google makes available, Notifications where information about new updates will be displayed, Your Account where you can access personal settings, or sign-out, and G-Suite Training where you can learn advanced features, and find help for whatever questions you may have.

Recently Accessed Forms

The last few forms you have created or accessed will be available in the quick menu allowing for fast access to the most relevant forms you created.

Search Options

Should you want to access an older form, they can be found by searching.  Using the various search options finding your desired form is a simple task.

 

Understanding the Form Screen

Accessing the Form Screen

Now that you’re familiar with the Home Screen, you will need to familiarize yourself with the other important screen in Google Forms, the Form Screen.

To access the form screen, you will need to click on the Create New Form button on the Home Screen.  This will open up an Untitled form for you to edit.

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with this screen as the following tutorials will refer to a number of elements on this screen.

File Name

The File Name is how the form will appear in your Google Drive.  It is advisable to use the form name for the file name.

Style

The style selector will allow you to change the colour or theme of your form.  It is purely cosmetic.

Preview

Clicking this button will allow you to view your form as a user would.  Results can be submitted through the preview mode.  Any forms submitted through preview mode will be counted towards your total results.

Form Settings

The form settings allow you to toggle a number of options.  They include, but are not limited to, collecting the e-mail addresses of those who fill out the form.  This is important if you want to know who submitted the response.  You can limit responses to one per e-mail address, allow users to edit their response after submission, or use the more advanced presentation or quiz functions.

More information on how to create a quiz will be presented in Creating Your First Quiz.

Share Button

The share button allows you to send the quiz to other people.  You can send it by adding their e-mail address to the recipient list, or by finding the share web-link which can be sent to recipients in whatever way is most comfortable for you.

Additional Options

The Additional Options opens a menu that allows you to print, copy, or delete your form.  There are a few more advanced options in this menu as well.

Question / Response Selector

Clicking on the Question / Response Selector allows you to switch between creating the form, and viewing the individual or aggregated response date.  More information on this will be presented in Understanding Response Data.

Form Name

The form name will be displayed to everyone who accesses the form.  Giving it a name that explains its purpose is advisable.  For example, “Student Information Collection”, or “Metropolis Quiz”.

First Question

When you create a blank form Google Forms automatically creates an initial multiple-choice question.  You will notice that it has a name and one option.  These can be edited by you.

Copy Question

This button allows you to make an exact copy of the question.  This can be useful if you have a number of questions with similar responses, or if you want o preserve question formatting for your next question.

Delete Question

This button will delete the corresponding question.

Required Response Toggle

By clicking this, toggling Required Response on form users will be unable to submit the form unless they have answered the question.

Question Options

Questions have a variety of options.  The options available are determined by the question type you have selected.

Question Type

The Question Type dropdown will allow you to change the type of question you have on your form.  The most frequently used types are multiple choice, short answer, and check box.

Insert Options

You will notice there are five main options on the Insert Options bar.  From top to bottom they are: Add Question, Add Title, Add Image, Add Video, and Add Section.

You will learn how to add questions in Chapter 2.  The other options will be explored in Chapter 3.

 

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PART 1: INTRODUCTION TO GOOGLE FORMS

PART 2: CREATING A BASIC GOOGLE FORM

PART 3: CREATING AN ADVANCED GOOGLE FORM

PART 4: CREATING A GOOGLE FORM QUIZ

PART 5: MORE TO LEARN ABOUT GOOGLE FORMS

PART 6: GOOGLE FORMS DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES

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