To share a Google Form with students in Google Classroom, the most effective and integrated method is to create an assignment and include the form's shareable link. This approach ensures students can easily access the form while allowing teachers to track submissions and manage workflow efficiently.
Step-by-Step Guide: Sharing a Google Form as an Assignment
Distributing your Google Form – whether it's a quiz, survey, or feedback collection – to your students is a straightforward process within Google Classroom. Follow these steps to set up your assignment.
1. Get Your Google Form Link
Before you navigate to Google Classroom, you need to obtain the unique shareable link for your Google Form. This link is what you will paste into your Classroom assignment.
- Open your Google Form in a web browser.
- In the top right corner of the form, click the "Send" button.
- In the "Send form" dialog box, click on the "Link" tab (it looks like a chain icon).
- (Optional) Check the "Shorten URL" box for a more concise link.
- Click the "Copy" button to copy the link to your clipboard.
2. Create an Assignment in Google Classroom
Once you have your Google Form link, you can proceed to create the assignment in Google Classroom.
- Select any of your classes. Open Google Classroom and choose the specific class where you wish to post the Google Form.
- Click on the "Classwork" tab from the top menu within your chosen class.
- Click the “Create” button (usually a large "+" icon), then select “Assignment” from the dropdown menu.
- Type the title and the description for your assignment. Provide clear instructions so students understand what the activity is about, what they need to do with the form, and any specific expectations.
- Click on the “Add” button (looks like a paperclip), then select “Link” from the dropdown options.
- Paste the link you got from your form! In the "Add link" pop-up, paste the copied Google Form URL into the field, then click the "Add link" button.
3. Configure Assignment Settings (Recommended)
After adding the form link, you can further customize your assignment before posting it to students.
- For: Choose which specific students or multiple classes will receive this assignment.
- Points: Assign a point value for the form (e.g., 100 points for a quiz) or select "Ungraded" for surveys or feedback forms.
- Due date: Set a clear deadline for submission.
- Topic: Assign the form to an existing topic or create a new one to keep your Classwork page organized.
- Rubric: If applicable, you can attach a rubric for transparent grading criteria.
- Originality reports: (If your institution has G Suite Enterprise for Education) Enable originality reports for text-based responses.
Finally, click "Assign" (or "Schedule" or "Save draft") to post the assignment.
Why Share Google Forms Through Google Classroom?
Integrating Google Forms directly into Google Classroom offers numerous benefits for educators and students alike:
- Centralized Learning Environment: All assignments, resources, and communications are consolidated in one platform, making it easy for students to find and access their work.
- Streamlined Workflow: Teachers can easily distribute forms, track submission status, and manage due dates from a single dashboard. For Google Forms set as quizzes, grades can often be imported directly into Classroom's gradebook.
- Organized Submissions: It helps you keep track of which students have accessed or completed the form, providing a clear overview of student engagement.
- Clear Communication: The assignment description allows for detailed instructions, rubrics, and important notes to be communicated clearly alongside the form itself.
- Accessibility: Students can access the forms from any device (computer, tablet, smartphone) using their Google account, ensuring flexibility in learning.
Best Practices for Using Google Forms in Classroom
To maximize the effectiveness of using Google Forms with Google Classroom, consider these best practices:
- Clear Instructions are Key: Always provide comprehensive and concise instructions in the Classroom assignment description, detailing the purpose of the form and how students should complete it.
- Test Your Form: Before assigning, fill out your Google Form yourself to ensure all questions, response validation, and logic (if any) work as intended.
- Identify Students: If your form does not automatically collect email addresses (e.g., if students are not logged into their school Google accounts), include a required question for students to type their name and class.
- Leverage Quiz Mode: For assessments, enable "Quiz" mode in Google Forms settings to assign point values to questions, provide automatic feedback, and streamline grading.
- Utilize Classroom Feedback: After students submit their forms, use Google Classroom's private comments feature to provide individualized feedback directly on their assignment entry.
