Easy Grading & Record Keeping Using Word Forms and Templates RECAP 2006 Karen Jogan – [email protected]

Michele Mislevy – [email protected]

Albright College, Reading, PA http://faculty.albright.edu/edu/mmislevy/Conferences.htm

A Form

• Is a document that users can view and complete in Microsoft Word • Can contain text boxes, check boxes and drop down lists (fields) • Can be organized in tables • Offers protection to prevent users from changing data • Can gather data to export – Excel or Access • Tab key moves around form

Example – Lesson Plan Template

Dropdown field Textbox Checkbox

•Shaded areas are fields •Unshaded areas are protected •Can’t spell check protected doc

Example – Grading Checklist

•Shaded areas are fields •Unshaded areas are protected •Can’t spell check protected doc

Why Use a Form?

• Gather and collect data – easy to distribute • Checklists • Rubrics for grading • Timesaver

How is a Form Created?

1. Sketch a layout – Structure and Fields 2. Enter the structure in Word – tables can assist in aligning data 3. Turn on the Forms toolbar and add fields 4. Protect 5. Save as a Template (optional) 6. Test and implement

Forms Toolbar

Checkbox

•offers defined list of choices •may choose none, any or all

Textbox

• Accepts text & no’s

Protection Dropdown field

• Defined list of options to choose from •View-Toolbars-Forms to activate

Saving as a Template - Optional

• Appears in the File-New dialog box – saves in the Microsoft Office Templates folder automatically • Always opens as a copy – protects users from overwriting the original • File-Save As – change document type to read Document Template – gives file a .dot extension

Your Turn

• Recreate the Lesson Plan Template form

Brainstorm

• What kinds of forms could help increase your productivity?

• Could this technology be integrated into your course to help your students?

Sketch a Layout

• Identify your need – what data do you want to compile?

• Design structure and fields on paper – what will support your data gathering needs?

• Construct your form in Word – structure first, then fields • Save as a Template – test