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MICROTHEMES
The MICROTHEME, a brief essay limited to one side of a 5" x 8" index card, is an ideal instrument for painlessly increasing the written content of a course. Brief and thus easily graded it is educationally sound, for a great deal of thinking must precede the writing. There are four main formats, each of which challenges and cultivates writing and cognitive skills in a different way.
The Summary-Writing Microtheme
The student must read a body of material, discuss its structure (main idea. supportive points, connections among its parts), condense it while retaining its hierarchy. and eliminate frill in order to write a summary. This exercise strengthens reading comprehension and writing ability. It also targets “egocentrism,” that is the tendency of the “maturing” student thinker to impose personal opinion on data, veer from the topic, and distort an author's perspective.
The Thesis-Support Microtheme
The student must take a stand and defend it. An article citing Spock's childhood permissiveness as the cause for the sixties revolution generates a contrary thesis: “To attribute the student revolution of the 60's to Benjamin Spock is reductive, because several cultural factors influenced that decade's attitudes toward authority.” This exercise strengthens the ability to discover, state, and defend an issue, using clear evidence and logical reasoning.
The Data-Provided Microtheme
Data is provided in the form of tables or factual statements. The student must comment on its significance. Selecting, arranging, connecting, and generalizing about data develops inductive reasoning. Students thus progress from merely listing facts to making assertions.
The Quandary-Posing Microtheme
A practical occurrence or puzzling situation is presented. The student must explain the underlying scientific principles in clear terms and pose a solution. This exercise moves students from rote learning to application, thereby strengthening concept comprehension and abstract reasoning.
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