gMath Add-ons for Google Forms

    Google recently released the capability to give add-ons to forms.  This is very handy in that you can now add gMath to your forms.  gMath helps to image complex mathematical symbols and equations to be used in a form.  This adds quite a few possibilities for creating online assessments for students, gathering formative data, or giving quick feedback to students based on form submissions.

    This can also be paired with a script like Flubaroo, which can take form answers and grade or score quizzes automatically.  Check the add-on menu when using a form to add gMath.

    After selecting gMath in the Add-ons menu, it gives you three options to create- math expressions, graphs, or statistical displays.  I chose the expressions.

     When you've made a choice, a sidebar will open giving you options for building your expression.  Typing code in the LaTex box can help you figure out what the image will look like that can be inserted into the form.  You also have an option to choose pre-made and commonly used expressions at the bottom of the sidebar.


   After getting the equation that you want, click the "Insert" button and gMath will create a new form question with your image.

     This add-on came to my attention after having some conversations with a middle school math teacher who wanted to use a Google Form and spreadsheet to create Histograms in algebra class.  The gMath add-on allowed her to create quizzes more tailored to her class.

     gMath also has an add-on for Google Docs, which adds the same functionality to a doc.