Teacher Tech blog with Alice Keeler

Paperless Is Not a Pedagogy

Alice Keeler

Pre-Populating a Google Form in 4 easy steps

Pre-Populating a Google Form in 4 easy steps

One of my favorite tools is Google Forms.  They work great on almost any browser and on almost any tablet device.  Using Google Forms with students allows me to give quizzes, collect information, or use as a digital inbox.

Sometimes I need to have specific information put into the form.  For example, if I am using a Google Form as my warm-up and I used the same form each day I may want to ask the students to write the question before they answer it.

Previously I had blogged on how to create pre-filled URL’s for a Google Form under the Legacy Forms.  This method no longer works with the new Forms, so here is a new tutorial.

Click Here for a Sample Warm-Up Form

There are 2 problems with having students type in information.
1) It is tedious to fill out several fields, especially if it is information you have to write a lot.
2) Students will not enter in the information exactly the same way which causes problems for sorting, organizing and using pivot tables.

Google Forms (not the legacy Forms, the new ones), allows for you to create a pre-filled URL so that when students click on the link it automatically fills in information.

YouTube video

Click Here for the sample of a Pre-Filled Google Form.

Steps

  1. In the form edit view, go to the responses tab and choose “Get Pre-Filled URL”
  2. You are taken to what looks like the live form, but is actually how you will submit the default answers.  For the fields that you want default answers to appear type those default answers into the field.
  3. At the bottom click the “submit” button.  You are not submitting the form, but submitting your default answers.
  4. You will be given a unique URL that when shared with students will pre-slug in the information to the form.

Tips

  • Go to the edit screen of the form daily to create a new Pre-Filled URL in order to use the same form and spreadsheet daily, but have different default information submitted.
  • Use http://goo.gl to obtain a short URL and QR code to help students to quickly get to your customized Google Form.
  • Create a customized URL for each student that they can bookmark on their computers or tablet devices.  If they are going to fill in the same form repeatedly (for a digital homework inbox perhaps), create a pre-filled URL that has their name, email and student ID so the student only needs to input their assignment link.

5 Easy Steps for Teaching with Digital Tools

Introducing digital tools into your teaching can seem challenging at first. There are many tools out there, and it might feel like there’s a lot to learn. But with easy steps for teaching with digital tools, you can start simply and gradually. There’s no need to dive in all at once – just take it one step at a time. Taking easy steps for teaching with digital tools starts with trying something!

Read More »
Students Prepare to Present

Help Your Students Prepare to Present

Maximize student success in presentations with ‘Speaker Notes by AliceKeeler,’ the ideal Google Slides add-on. Enhance how students prepare to present with easy transfer of speaker notes to Google Docs, promoting effective communication skills. Dive into the world of engaging, technology-aided presentations and empower students to shine in their academic endeavors. Discover the key to transforming student presentations into interactive, skill-building experiences.

Read More »

Infographic 7 Basic Steps for a Google Form

New to using Google Forms? This tool is essential for teachers to not only save time but to be adaptive to student needs. Use Forms to survey students, play games, personalize instruction, and assessment. This infographic on the 7 basic steps for a Google Form will help you get started.

Read More »

Online Workshop: Get Your Add-on Published

How can you make Google Workspace (Docs/Sheets/Slides) even better? You can create custom Add-ons with Google Apps Script. Wondering How to Get Your Google Workspace Add-on Published? Join Alice Keeler, Google Developer Expert, to learn the steps to get your Add-on officially published.

Read More »

5 thoughts on “Pre-Populating a Google Form in 4 easy steps

    1. Not sure what you mean, you can go to the Form menu and go to “Edit the Form,” but once you close the pre-filled URL window it is “gone”. Would have to start over…

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d