Using G.Drive App to Facilitate Student 'Think-Alouds'

The useful design feature in Google Drive was the ability to record video directly from a mobile device while retaining control of its sharing permissions. That made video-based demonstrations of understanding, especially think-alouds, possible without publishing them to a public platform.

I have begun to experiment with this feature as a way to facilitate a weekly "challenge" problem. Because the problem is recorded in my grade book as extra credit, I wanted an assessment system that ensured that the student at least articulated his or her thought process, rather than simply copy the solution from a partner or the internet. Below are the instructions I am giving students:

The resulting think-alouds remained private between teacher and learner. The public takeaway is the assessment design: require the reasoning to be spoken, keep the recording permission-controlled, and respond to the process rather than only the final answer.