Self Grading Form: Google Forms

Summary

            Since Google Form results are collected and stored in a Google Spreadsheet, answers can easily be converted to quantitative data and formulas can be applied to automatically grade answers and calculate student averages.

What I Did

            I created a brand new Google Form with quiz questions. For the questions, I went to the Virginia Department of Education’s website to access previous subject tests for Virginia’s Standards of Learning. I collected science questions based on standard 5.7 and presented them in the quiz as they appeared in the test, as multiple choice questions. After several people responded to the quiz, I accessed the spreadsheet from Google Drive. Across from the row of questions, I listed the correct answers. In the columns of answers, I wanted numerical data that would identify whether each student answered the question currently (received a score of 100 respectively) or incorrectly (received a score of zero respectively). At the end of each row, I wanted to calculate the average score earned by each student. Special formulas are used to obtain these scores.

For individual questions, you need to use something that looks like “=if(B3=$J$1,100,0).” This specific formula is used, for example, when the first student answer is in B3 and the corresponding, correct answer is in J1. This formula can be dragged down the column to automatically grade all student answers. The formula for obtaining the average looks like “=average(J3:O4).” This specific formula is used, for example, when scores from the first student lies between J3 and O4. This formula can be dragged down the column to automatically grade all student answers.

Grading the form, while a fairly easy thing to do, is a very difficult thing to explain. I watched this helpful video before I attempted working with my result spreadsheet.

Take my quiz!

See my quiz results!

How I Would Use It

            As this application requires computer and internet access, I most likely would not ask elementary students to take Google Form quizzes to earn grades. This is not to say that I would not want to be able to obtain this data. Teachers should constantly analyze student data for information about student progress and teaching effectiveness. Alternatively, I may use this application to give student anticipatory quizzes before a new teaching unit. Grading this form would allow me to identify what information students already know and what information students may have misconceptions about. Finally, it would be possible for me to give students the same quiz at the beginning and end of a teaching unit to monitor overall student progress.

 

What I Learned

            I recently took a course through which I learned various formulas to use in Excel spreadsheets. I learned formulas that allow me to add a column of numbers, find the average, to find the standard deviation, and to find the correlation of two columns of data. Some of these formulas will be helpful in the classroom on a daily basis while others will be helpful mostly while conducting research. The formula and format for grading is new to me and one that I will certainly be able to use frequently in the classroom in order to work both work more efficiently and gather data for research.

 

Standards Reflection

Teachers who engage in action research may find Google Forms to be an asset to their work. Using this tool for such an endeavor would help them to meet standard 3 “d” ISTE-NETS-T’s standards. The standard calls for teachers to locate, analyze, and evaluate information resources using digital tools. Google forms allow teachers to locate, analyze, and evaluate authentic information. Overall, the outcome is the same, teachers are collecting research that allows them to use research for their personal development, to support research in their field, and to support learning in their classrooms.