Research Deconstruction is a novel and versatile pedagogy first developed at University of California, Los Angeles by Drs. Utpal Banergjee (HHMI Professor), Ira Clark, and Rafael Romero [Clark, Romero, et. al., 2009]. The original goals of the pedagogy were to improve scientific literacy across multiple educational levels, with four essential objectives in mind:  

1. To recognize and utilize scientific explanations of the natural world;  

2. To understand how to generate and evaluate scientific evidence; 

3. To understand the nature and development of scientific knowledge;  

4. To participate productively in scientific practices and discourse

Within Wisconsin, a growing partnership between multiple Wisconsin Colleges and Universities seeks to extend the utility of this pedagogy and establish a network of researchers and educators working together to advance scientific interest and literacy through implementation of Research Deconstruction at their respective institutions. While our partnership was originally initiated around the Research Deconstruction pedagogy, its goals have since been extended, and collectively, the partnership has led to the development of Wisconsin Science Education & Research Consortium (The WiSER Consortium). 

One of our ultimate goals of Research Deconstruction is to spark students’ interest in scientific research, either specifically as an educational and/or career path, or more generally as an appreciation of the scientific method and how research and scientific knowledge impacts their everyday lives. Included in this overarching goal is the important task of recruiting and retaining students in STEM fields.