If you are like me, you love Google Forms. I dislike collecting papers so as much as possible I collect work and information from students using a Google Form. All of the responses go to an easy to evaluate spreadsheet. Grading bliss!

It is now the end of the semester and I have a LOT of spreadsheets. In looking for evidence of student work and progress over the semester I look through the spreadsheets to capture one part of the picture for each student.

One Spreadsheet to Rule Them All

Create a new spreadsheet to collect the evidence from the other spreadsheets.

Arrow on the Tab

From the spreadsheets of student data you will want to send the tab of data to your “master spreadsheet.” Hover over the tab and notice a small arrow shows up. Click on the arrow to reveal a menu of options.

Copy To

Choose “Copy to…”

Copy to will send a copy of the tab to a different spreadsheet. Doing this for each spreadsheet will collect all of your data in your “master spreadsheet.”

Word of Caution

If your spreadsheet has formulas that link to other tabs (such as a pivot table) the copied tab will not work in the “master spreadsheet.”

In the case of a pivot table or other formulas, create a new sheet in the original spreadsheet.

On the tab of data click on the “awesome box.” The “awesome box” is located to the left of the column and row indicators. Clicking on the “awesome box” will cause the entire sheet to be selected.

Copy the entire sheet (Control C on a PC, Command C on a Mac.)

On the new sheet right click in cell A1 and choose “Paste special” and “Paste values only.”

This creates a sheet of the data but strips the formulas. You can then “Copy to…” this new tab of static data to the “master spreadsheet.”