One of the challenges I have faced since the start of this iPad pilot program has been how to create digital lab activities. I need to be able to give students focused questions, some open-ended, some multiple-choice, and some in various other formats. The students then need to be able to easily submit their work for assessment. I considered using a word processing app, like Pages, but found that starting a complete lab activity from a blank document is a bit overwhelming for students. I considered creating pdf forms which could be filled in on the iPads and then submitted digitally, however, between the purchase of Adobe Acrobat to create the forms, and the $10.00+ apps to read and annotate the forms, that options was a bit to pricey. Then I stumbled across FormEntry.

FormEntry is an app, available through the Mac App Store, which allows you to create forms for iOS devices. These forms look like native apps when run on the devices. You can create a variety of question types, including text fields, paragraph responses, spinner wheels, date and time pickers, check boxes, and even photo selectors. The creator of the form has some formatting options, including the ability to add icons to the “app.” These forms can easily be distributed to the devices over a shared wifi network, and, when completed, can be submitted via email, or directly to a server. Both the Mac app and the accompanying (free) iOS app are really simple to use, and work perfectly. There are, however, some limitations, including that fact that you cannot include images as part of your form, and that the length of your questions is somewhat limited. The developer insists that these issues will be addressed in a future release. Even despite these shortcomings, FormEntry has completely changed how I have my students complete labs in my class. It’s definitely worth checking out. Learn more about these apps by checking out this overview pdf.

Tags: Lab, Labs, Digital Labs, FormEntry, FormEntry Touch, WidgetPress, IOS Form, Form App