日本大学歯学部紀要 41，21‑27，2013

Online Tests with Google Drive
Michio Tajima and Eiji Ishikawa
Abstract
This paper demonstrates how test marking and grading can be conducted,utilizing Google
Drive, available on Google.com. It also shows the efficiency of the system using basic
spreadsheet functions on Google Drive. Although this approach has a number of issues,
including the potential for cheating, it is applicable for a number of purposes, which are
discussed along with feedback from students.
Key words: Google Drive, marking and grading, online test

１. Introduction
M ore and more academic and educational works concerning technical and practical applications of ITC have been reported. A major academic society, the Japan Association for
Language Teaching (JALT) features presentations and workshops at its annual conferenceeach year on M oodle,Hot Potatoes,Google Document,and SNS as software.There have been
an increasing number of studies on teaching English using hardware, such as cell phones,
Smartphones, PCs and tablet PCs.
This paper deals with online testing with cloud computing,particularly Google Drive.Recent
views of online testing in educational fields will be briefly reviewed.How to make online tests
using Google Form, a part of Googleʼ
s online office suite Google Drive and mark with Google
Spreadsheet, also another part of Google Drive, will be discussed. Feedback from those who
actually have taken online practice tests at the university level will be included and discussions
presented.

２. Online learning /testing and achievement
Instructional and practice applications of computer and Internet technology have been
analysed and discussed,showing the effectiveness of online learning and achievement.Derouza
and Fleming (2003)state that learners using online practice tests performed academicallybetter
than those using traditional paper based written tests.Dobson (2008)shows that online quizzes
were associated with improvements in summative tests and learning and also asserts online
quizzes can validly predict learner performance in terms of summative exams.Johnson (2006a)
also found that online short answer quizzes were associated with academic achievement.

日本大学歯学部

英語

Nihon University School of Dentistry
1‑8‑13 Kanda‑Surugadai, Chiyoda‑ku, Tokyo 101‑8310, Japan〒 101‑8310 東京都千代田区神田駿河台１‑８‑13(受理：2013年９月 20日）

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日本大学歯学部紀要 41，21‑27，2013

Although there was no significant difference between learners who experienced online true or
false quizzes and those who did not, this study shows that certain activities have potential
effects on improving language skills.There are also reports that the number of those who rated
online learning as either the same or superior to face‑to‑face is increasing slowly and thenumber of those who rate online learning as somewhat inferior or inferior is steadilydecreasing(Allen and Seaman, 2010a, 2010b).
The success of online learning or e‑learning largely depends on learnersʼinvolvement,just as
with traditional learning styles. Without their participation in actual activities or testing,nothing will come out of it. Johnson (2008)writes that online practice tests were preferred toonline study groups, which indicates that learners preferred learning alone in this study.
Kauffman, Zhao, and Yang (2011) found that learners using self‑monitoring were affected intheir note taking and achievement.Kerr,Rynearson,and Kerr (2006)also found academic skills,
internet self‑efficacy and overall metacognitive reading strategy use are related and asserted
online learning was effective for language achievement. They conclude that “the successful
online student is self‑directed,independent,personally responsible for her learning,and has self‑competence,proficient reading and writing skills,time management skills,and motivation tolearn”(102). Self‑directed learning is considered to be one factor for successful learning with
online learning as well as traditional learning.
Online tests also can be used as a predictor of learnersʼlanguage levels. Harrington andCarey (2009)found that placement level decisions correlated with yes and no test results.This
indicates that online yes and no vocabulary tests may be good enough to access learnersʼ
language ability rather than written tests with difficult and complicated questions and whichtake time to carry out, mark and get scores.
The application of computer technology and its variations will be increasing,or at least will
be steady,but not be decreasing for educational purposes.Shi (2011)introduces online test andtraining for students and writes that its appropriate use may potentially cut down the amountof work for educators.In the US,more than twentyfive percent of students at higher educationlevels now take at least one online course(Allen and Seaman,2010b).At academic conferences,on second or foreign language education like JALT and JACET in Japan,more workshops andpresentations about online tests or online learning have been presented in recent years,suggesting there will be opportunities for students to use of online learning in the future.
There is also empirical evidence showing no statistical relation between online learning andlearnersʼachievement.For instance,Johnson (2006b)wrote that “perception of the value of thevirtual study groups in mastering course content was not significantly related to any measureof student achievement”(684) and discussed whether those questions are what motivate andsupport learnersʼonline learning more effectively.
Clearly, there is not enough empirical evidence concerning online learning and learnersʼ
achievement and it is premature to draw any conclusion regarding the effectiveness of online
22Online Tests with Google Drive

learning.Even if online learning is not correlated to learnersʼachievement,if learnersʼlanguage
skills do not deteriorate and there is no burden on the educator, it is worth using.

３. Making an online test with Google Driveʼs FormAmong Google Drive applications,Form is the best choice to make an online test or survey.
Especially, where a large number of learners will answer the form, this can help as long as it
is set up appropriately by automatically generating a spreadsheet to calculate scores and/or
give grades more efficiently.
Google Drive,which contains Google Document and Spreadsheet,is a web‑based application
software which does not rely on a particular operation system. Google Document is a word
processing software like M S Word or Appleʼ
s Pages,and Google Spreadsheet is like MS Excel,
Appleʼ
s Numbers, Open Officeʼs Calc.Google Doc Offline,or Google Drive,can be installed in
the HDD in a PC, but here online application software will be explained.
Google Form can create forms,like surveys or tests,and can be used with cloud computing.
One can keep it only to him/herself, open it to certain people only or to the general public.If
anyone answers or enters a response,the result shows up on the Google Spreadsheet concerned
automatically. With the use of a few formulas, scores or grades can be almost automaticallyelicited.
1) At the top of the Google site, there is an icon Drive, which leads to the Drive top page.
2) Click the red CREATE button, and choose which application software to use, word
processing,spreadsheet,presentation,form,painting,and so forth.To create an online test,
click Form.
3) Type in the title of a test or survey, and its directions or messages to learners in HELP
TEXT.
4) For the first question,the form is already there to enter the questions.Choose the question
type from a list which includes simple short texts,paragraphs,multiple choice,checkboxes,and choosing from a list, scale, and grid. If MAKE THIS REQUIRED QUESTION ischecked,the respondent must answer it or else will not be able to send back the completedform.
5) Click on DONE, then, the first question is made. Click question 2 and do the sameprocedure. Type in the question and choose the question type.
6) To make more questions, click an ADD ITEM button and choose the question type.
7) Every time the test is modified, Form saves it automatically.
8) Click EM AIL THIS FORM to send this form to any email address and also copy and paste
this URL to a blog, SNS, or email.
Going back to the original Google Drive page,there is the form in the list,looking like a mailinbox.
There should be another file with the Google Spreadsheet file,too,which shows the results.
23日本大学歯学部紀要 41，21‑27，2013

Google Spreadsheet has many functions like standard spreadsheet software.You can also go toa page to edit a form by clicking Form.With EMAIL THIS FORM,or SEND FORM you cansend it to any email address. You can download this file and use other spreadsheet software
such as M S Excel.
After completion of a test,it is recommendable to answer the questions to have the correct
answers at the top of the spreadsheet. Learnersʼresponses will be shown after that. It is notnecessary, though, and in fact, correct answers can be inserted directly to the spreadsheet
afterwards, too. But you can still learn what it is like to respond to the form as a test taker.
To make this form a little more elaborate, you can choose THEME, with which, you canchange the form background. This way, you can identify the form visually, too.
By unchecking ACCEPTING RESPONSES from the Formʼs pull‑down‑menu in the spreadsheet file, you can block any further responses,something which makes it possible to set up adate due for submission.
For more detailed procedure, go through the help section of Google Drive.

４. Marking and Grading with Google Driveʼ
s Spreadsheet
Responses from learners are automatically filled in by Google Drive on a spreadsheet,being
put in order of arrival, vertically from top to bottom, with the information for each question
answered by each individual being entered horizontally from left to right.At this point,insert
a new column immediately to the right of the learner name column for the purpose of enteringa total score for each learner,thus making it easier to refer to student names and scores at a
glance.
Enter a formula containing the IF function in a cell in order to add up a score for eachquestion and show the learnerʼs total score. The formula, for instance, looks as follows: ＝IF(F3＝$F$2,1)＋IF(G3＝$G$2,1)＋IF(H3＝$H$2,3)＋IF(I3＝$I$2,1).The formula begins with anequal sign and ends with a closing bracket, and is supposed to be typed in the cell where thetotal score needs to be shown.What this formula indicates is that if the value in cell F3 is thesame as the one in cell F2,the concerned learner gets one point.This applies to the cases of cell
G3 and G2, H3 and H2, and I3 and I2 in the same way. Moreover, if the learner answers
incorrectly,he or she will get a zero for the question.Then,the total score of the four questions
will be shown. The cells designated with dollar marks are the ones that have correct answers
in them and always get referred to so as to determine whether the answers are correct or not.
This designation is called absolute reference.
When everything is typed in and finished by pressing the ENTER button, the score of the
respondent will be shown in the targeted column.Since it is desirable to calculate the scores of
all the respondents at once,you just need to place the cursor onto the corner of the lower rightof the cell that already has the complete formula.Then the cursor becomes a cross.The next
thing to do is to drag the cross,while pressing the left click,down all the way to the end of the24Online Tests with Google Drive

list. Once you release the left click, you get all the scores of the respondents calculated andshown.
It is worth noting here that rearranging the order of the list is easy.The initial order of thelist is according to the time of arrival. Instead, you could always change the order by, forexample, student numbers, alphabetical order of the respondents, and so forth. To do so, one
first needs to select a column as a basis of reordering, and goes on to click on DATA, then
SORT.

５. Online test takersʼfeedback
We conducted the online exercise three times a semester,utilizing Google Form,in the 2013
school year. Participants were the first year students at a private university in Tokyo,Japan,
taking English language courses as general education units.No more than five questions were
included in one exercise,and students were instructed to answer questions such as vocabulary
meaning and comprehension check based on a single short passage.They were also instructed
to answer the questions with one word,if possible,and not more than a few words at most.At
the end, the opportunity to give feedback on this online test was given to each respondent,
generating comments (left untouched below), such as:
Pros
1.

Listening is my weak point, so I think this is good for me to training listening skill.

2.

But itʼs good for practicing English.

3.

Itʼs difficult for me. But good for practicing my English skill.

4.

This is nice homework.

5.

I like English very much...

6.

It is interesting!

Cons
1.

I donʼ
t have the PC. It is difficult for me to answer the question on the Internet.

2.

This is very interesting, but I donʼt want do it always.

3.

Please donʼt do like this always...

4.

It is very interesting... but it makes me boring.

5.

Donʼ
t use e‑mail system to announce us homework.

6.

手書き手渡しの提出を望む

６. Discussion
As there are pros and cons in any learning methods,we received comments from students forand against this online test. Some liked the online test because it seemed to them that it was“good for practicing English”.Others liked it simply because it was “nice homework”,because
they like English very much, or because “it is interesting!”On the other hand, some were
unhappy about the test.For example,it was difficult for those who do not have free access to25日本大学歯学部紀要 41，21‑27，2013

computers to answer the questions on the Internet. This also brings up the problem of using
email to inform students not always being fair to all.Others found it boring,or OK if it is only
once in a while.
If one assumes that learner satisfaction is a key factor in effectual language learning, thenteachers have responsibility for learner satisfaction, a topic which has been long and widely
discussed.In any case,teachers should not be the ones who diminish it,but should be the ones
who enhance it. This being the case, it is one of the tasks on the teachersʼside to provide
motivating and satisfying materials or methods for language learning such as online learningand practice tests.
However, learner satisfaction is not always the primary factor of successful language
learning, and teaching methods or materials which learners find satisfactory do not always
contribute to maximizing the learning effect.Teachers should bear this in mind not only whenplanning and conducting lessons but also when giving learners advice on how to design learning
strategies by learners themselves. Having noted that there is not necessarily a correlation
between learner satisfaction and learning effect (Johnson, 2006b), it also must be emphasizedthat learner satisfaction oriented teaching methods or materials have not been proved to beineffective or harmful either.For that reason,to regard learner satisfaction oriented teaching
methods or materials as ones which are worth trying in classroom is a plausible one.
Using online learning and testing methods may not necessarily have a direct influence onlearning effect, but it still remains useful to teachers in marking and grading studentsʼwork.
Some benefits of online testing adopted in this studyshould be noted for their convenience froma teacherʼs point of view. First of all, the process of test making, distributing, collecting,marking,and grading can all be done with a computer.Teachers can shorten the entire process
and become much quicker and more efficient going through it.Second,online testing introduced
here could be used as preparation for actual face‑to‑face lessons, being a means for teachers
to find out what will be easier for students to understand and what will be less so.This allows
teachers to design better teaching plans based on the results and the outcome of online
learning/testing since it presents what students need for better comprehension rather than what
teachers believe students need beforehand. If one includes open‑ended questions,furthermore,teachers can get to know more clearly about their studentsʼcharacters or needs which cannot
be detected by multiple choice questions because students can freely write about their own
ideas.Also,teachers can use this online method as a part of a student evaluation.Online testing
can be another opportunity for students to demonstrate their academic achievement as well as
by other more conventional methods, such as paper‑based tests and verbal tests.
Online testing does not solve every issue in language learning,but has potential as a teaching
method.When integrated with current methods,it has considerable application that will impact
on teaching.

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Online Tests with Google Drive

Works Cited
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Allen I.E., & Seaman, J. (2010b). Learning on Demand : Online Education in the United States, 2009 .
http://sloanconsortium.org/publications/survey/pdf/learningondemand.pdf(Retrieved on July.22,
2013 from the Sloan Consortium website).
Derouza,E.,& Fleming,M .(2003).A comparison of in‑class quizzes vs.online quizzes on student exam
performance. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 14, 121‑134.
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