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Just came across this gem of a trick. Think I have a use for it with my students next term as this survey seems better than the survey option in Blackboard. You can create (anonymous if you want to as well) online surveys using the FORM option in Google Docs. It’s so incredibly easy to create that the hardest part is coming up with the questions you want answered via the survey!
You need a Google ID to access Google Docs, but if you have a gmail account, that’s your ID. If you don’t, sign up for free.
Step 1 – Choose New > Form
Step 2 – Using the wizard-like format, create and submit each question to your survey. You can choose a range of controls associated with each question such as text boxes, check boxes, radio buttons (multi-choice questions), combo boxes (pull-down lists) and paragraphs. You even have a choice of template designs for the appearance of your finished survey form.
Step 3 – You now have the option to either email the survey form to your participants OR embed the survey into an existing web page.
When the survey is submitted, the responses are collated into a Google Docs spreadsheet. This in turn can be exported as an Excel file if you’d prefer.
I’m really excited about discovering how to do this. It’s so easy and even better, the survey answers are automatically collated for you! Google Docs even provides a summary view of the surveys that are returned – simple bar charts and percentage values both provided. Very handy! 
Jenny
