"Think-Aloud,” Defined

A “think-aloud” consists of identifying a task, applying academic vocabulary to it, thinking through its steps, recognizing possible learning pitfalls and determining to avoid them, while self-correcting throughout the process. A think-aloud is a very focused and concise, internal conversation that takes place sequentially during a task. It is not a lecture to the students. In modeling a think-aloud for students assigned a paper on Contrast in Language Arts, for instance, the teacher might employ “I” phrases to demonstrate her thinking. “I have to show the differences between two things,” “What are the major differences between these two things?” “How do I organize each paragraph to highlight the differences?” and “I need a transition word that shows differences between these things.”

Creating a Digital Think-Aloud

Technology can help a teacher save time and energy and ensures consistency of quality when explaining think-alouds to students. Digitally recording the think-aloud for a particular assignment allows a teacher to avoid repetition, gives all classes information uniformly and permits students to encounter the think-aloud whenever and wherever is convenient.

It’s good practice to write up the think-aloud script to ensure you’ve included all of the critical elements. Prepare material objects, such as a series of screen shots, or perhaps signs and charts for a PowerPoint presentation, in order to show the step-by-step process involved in each particular learning task. Record not only your thinking, but also each action step, from the start to the end of the process. Consider using a digital camera's movie function to record the sounds and sights of your think-aloud. Focusing the camera on the computer screen, speak loudly, so that your voice will clearly be recorded.

As you talk through the steps in your thinking, show PowerPoint slides, illustrating each individual idea or process. For example, one slide could show an empty graphic organizer, which will help you organize a Contrast writing paper. Another slide can display the two items to be contrasted, while a subsequent slide shows a particular category in which the items differ.

Once you’ve recorded your think-aloud, post it to the school server, a class Web site or to YouTube. If you post to YouTube, tag it with your subject area (English), the specific standard (English Language Arts Standard 3) and specific learning goal (Critical analysis essay), the topic (A Midsummer Night's Dream), the task (Contrast Essay) and the term (Think-aloud).

Assisting Evaluation

Finally, make sure to give students the YouTube Web address, so they can visit and revisit the presentation, if necessary. An additional bonus for you is that, as you work through the think-aloud, you clarify for herself all the required skills that students need to perform this new task. You’ll find yourself better-prepared to diagnose student learning gaps and to suggest specific, analysis-based feedback.

Dr. Harry Grover Tuttle focuses on assessing and improving student learning through low- and high-tech tools.

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