Tag Archives: google forms

Spreadsheets for Beginners

Spreadsheets for Beginners

Teach spreadsheets to junior students

When kids enjoy math and are engaged, they learn skills more effectively. Finding a project where students are both having fun and building proficiency in mathematics is a bonus. The newest release by TechnoKids Inc., TechnoCandy, fits the bill perfectly! In this technology project, elementary and middle school students acquire math skills as they learn about spreadsheets.

Learning through Problem Solving
In TechnoCandy, students develop a plan to boost candy sales. They investigate a problem by conducting a survey and researching candy packaging. A spreadsheet is used to organize, calculate, and graph data. Based on the evidence, students recommend a solution in a written report.
The practical, real world nature of the problem appeals to children. When they understand the connection between math skills and their applications, mathematics becomes interesting and relevant. Helping a candy company to improve their marketing strategies is sure to be an appealing challenge.

Templates Simplify Learning
The problem solving activities in TechnoCandy make use of templates. In this way, students spend no time setting up spreadsheets, but rather focus on interpreting data and devising a solution.

Use Google Sheets, Google Docs, Google Slides, AND Google Forms!
The TechnoCandy technology project, with its many optional activities, builds skills using many Google Apps tools. Students create pie and line graphs using Google Sheets, write a solution using Google Docs, design a candy package using Google Slides, and conduct a survey using Google Forms.

Enrichment Activities Extend Learning with Spreadsheets for Beginners
Challenging extension activities included in TechnoCandy make learning spreadsheets fun. Activities for a range of levels, from junior through middle school, include:

  • Play spreadsheet Bingo
  • Draw spreadsheet pictures
  • Explore addition formulas
  • Investigate pie and line graphs
  • Develop advanced graphing skills

Spreadsheets for Beginners

TechnoKids Releases Project for Google Apps for Education

TechnoKids Inc. is excited to announce the release of TechnoQuestionnaire, a project designed specifically for G Suite for Education. TechnoQuestionnaire is the first of an all new line of TechnoKids technology projects written expressly for the free online tools developed by Google for the classroom.

TechnoQuestionnaire lessons for Google Forms

Build a Survey Questionnaire using Google Forms

TechnoQuestionnaire is a technology project that teaches students how to conduct a survey using Google Forms.

In TechnoQuestionnaire, students become researchers. They conduct a survey to research an important issue. To begin, students gain an understanding about the purpose of surveys by completing a questionnaire. Next, they design their own survey to learn how to use Google Forms. Once familiar with this method of data collection, they develop their own research question, select a sample group, and build a questionnaire. A pre-test is conducted to improve the design. The questionnaire is then administered to the sample group. Once the data is collected it is interpreted and research findings shared with others.

Integrate TechnoQuestionnaire into Math and Science

Have students design a survey that describes a situation, measures the opinion of others, identifies an area in need of change, assesses satisfaction, or helps to organize an event:

  • report on access to technology
  • research popular trends
  • improve safety on the bus or at recess
  • rate satisfaction with school library
  • reduce bullying at school
  • plan an upcoming school event
  • gain support to start a new club
  • develop a fundraising campaign
  • increase participation in school programs
  • set a homework policy
  • select music for a school dance

Design a Survey

There are eight steps to conducting a survey questionnaire. Students complete each step in the research process:

  1. Set the Purpose – Determine the reason or goal of the survey.
  2. Pick Sample – Select the group of people that will take the survey.
  3. Choose Survey Method – Decide on the technique used to collect data.
  4. Create Questionnaire – Design questions to measure behavior or opinions.
  5. Pre-test – Take the survey to find errors and make improvements to the survey.
  6. Conduct Survey – Gather data by emailing a form or sharing a link to the survey.
  7. Analyze Results – Study the data in a spreadsheet and as graphs.
  8. Report Findings – Explain research findings in an oral presentation.
g suite for education activity

Design a questionnaire with Google Forms

TechnoKids and G Suite for Education

TechnoKids understands that schools and teachers are looking for free and mobile productivity tools. Budgets are limited yet students need to learn twenty first century skills. G Suite for Education provides a great solution:

  • use a free suite of applications
  • connect with a variety of devices – computer, tablet, or smartphone
  • access from anywhere with an Internet connection
  • collaborate and share with other students, classes, and parents

Having these tools is a significant advance for teachers. Now TechnoKids provides complete lesson plans to make use of these tools.

Eliminate Question Bias with the Help of Google Forms

A researcher needs to be objective. They cannot create a survey questionnaire that is designed to give a particular result. Instead, they must avoid question bias. Question bias is when a question leads a person to pick a particular answer. Leading questions can make survey results inaccurate. Here are 5 basic guidelines on how to avoid question bias and ways Google Forms can help.

question bias

Discover the ways Google Forms can help to avoid question bias in a questionnaire.

1. Avoid Leading Questions

The wording of a question is important. The phrasing should not influence the choice a person makes when answering.

2. Include “Other” as a Multiple Choice Option

Question bias can occur when the choices given for a question are limited. This forces a person to pick an answer that does not reflect their opinion or situation. To gain meaningful data from respondents it is a good idea to use Google Forms to add “Other” to a multiple choice question. This will allow respondents to type in a short answer.

3. Control the Questions Asked to Respondents

Question bias can occur when the questions asked are irrelevant. For example, there is no point in a person answering questions about social media use at home, if they do not use social media. Asking questions that do not apply to a person’s situation is a waste of time and could cause a person to pick any answer simply to complete the survey quickly. Google Forms can be set to control the questions asked to respondents. An answer selected for multiple choice question can be set to display a particular page or submit the form. This is an excellent way to prevent asking a person unnecessary questions.

4. Shuffle the Order of Items in a Multiple Choice Question List

Question bias can occur when the choices given for a question are always in the same order. This can cause people to select a choice based on its position within the list. Google forms allows the order of multiple choice options to be randomly shuffled which reduces question bias.

5. Shuffle the Order of Questions on a Page in a Questionnaire

Typically, questions in a questionnaire are set in particular order. Often they are sequenced easiest to hardest, with similar question kept together. Question bias may occur when the questions asked are always in the same order. Google forms allows the questions on a page to be randomly shuffled. This is an excellent way to change the placement of a group of questions.

Use Google Forms to Make a Pivot Chart

If you are using Google Forms with your students, you have likely read our previous posts: 5 Reasons to Use Google Forms with your Students, 5 More Reasons, and Google Forms and Graphed Results.

TechnoQuestionnaire

To make the pivot chart in the activity below, you must first have created a pivot table as described in my last post. Pivot charts are another way to analyze data about subgroups in a survey population. Make a table and a chart and consider which method you prefer to make conclusions about the survey results.

Follow the instructions to create a pivot chart.

  1. Open the spreadsheet with the responses that you created when making the pivot table.
  2. To view the pivot table, click the Pivot Table 1 tab at the bottom of the window.
    The table should look something like this:

    3. pivot table

  3. Remove the Grand Totals:
    1. In the Rows area, remove the checkmark in the Show totals box.
    2. In the Columns area, remove the checkmark in the Show totals box.

      3. show totals

    3. From the Insert menu, click Chart.
    4. On the Start tab, click Use row 1 as header to add labels to the legend. Click Insert.

      5. Use Row 1 as Header

    5. Click on the chart and drag it beside the pivot table.

      6. chart and table

  4. Label the chart:
    1. Click on Chart title. Type Comparison of X by Y. Press ENTER.

      2. add chart title

    2. Click on the Left vertical axis title. Type Description. Press ENTER.
    3. Click on the Horizontal axis title. Type Number of People. Press ENTER.

      4. pivot chart

  5. Save the chart: (optional)
    1. Click the arrow on the top right corner of the chart.
    2. Select Save image.
  6. Do you prefer a pivot table or pivot chart when comparing data? Why?