> Well, if that is your method then why not just shoulder-surf?
Recording the session is useful for further analysis, and sharing with other team members.
> isn't it about the bare minimum for a meaningful usability test to ensure the tester doesn't get interrupted?
It's useful to test software in the environment it will be used, where a user may well be distracted or have other things to do. Does the interface cope with distractions? Is it easy for someone to resume where they left off?
Recording the session is useful for further analysis, and sharing with other team members.
> isn't it about the bare minimum for a meaningful usability test to ensure the tester doesn't get interrupted?
It's useful to test software in the environment it will be used, where a user may well be distracted or have other things to do. Does the interface cope with distractions? Is it easy for someone to resume where they left off?