Community & Employer Engagement - Authenticity in PBL
How to create projects grounded in an authentic real-world context and why this is an important element of PBL.
Authenticity in Project Based Learning
Real world, authentic learning is a key element of PBL and EL. This principle underpins the project, from start to finish from the opening guiding question through to the end-product. This unit helps you consider how you can make the project authentic by engaging with experts and your community.
In this toolkit section, principles of creating authenticity in project design are introduced. Self-guided resources are:
- Video: This 5 min Edutopia (2018) video shows how a physics teacher created project authenticity by inviting engineers into the classroom to help students evaluate a moon landing project.
- Slides and Overview: Community, employers, and authenticity in PBL
- Explore further: Additional resource links and videos to explore to help you develop community, employers, and authenticity in project-based learning, including rubrics and templates.
What makes a project authentic?
A project can be authentic in four ways. More than one of these criteria may be combined in one project:
- meeting a real need in the world
- a problem, issue or topic that is relevant to students' lives
- a scenario or simulation that is realistic, even if it is fictitious
- involves tools, tasks or processes used by adults in real settings and by professionals in the workplace.
Quick links for Community, Employers, Authenticity in PBL
This 5 min Edutopia (2018) video shows how a physics teacher created project authenticity by inviting engineers into the classroom to help students evaluate a moon landing project.
Explore Further:
There are more resources below to support the development of community, employers and authenticity in project-based learning, including the UK context.
Bibliography and sources of best practice
CEC. (2023). Gatsby Benchmarks Toolkit Available from: https://resources.careersandenterprise.co.uk/resources/gatsby-benchmark-toolkit-schools
Edutopia. (2023a). Authentic project-based learning John Larmer. Available from: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/authentic-project-based-learning-john-larmer
Edutopia. (2023b). 6 ways to guide students’ authentic work. Available from: https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-ways-guide-students-more-authentic-work-pbl/
Edutopia. (2018). Outside experts boost project authenticity. Available from: https://www.edutopia.org/video/outside-experts-boost-project-authenticity/
EL Education. (2023). Students share work that matters with an authentic audience. Available from: https://eleducation.org/resources/students-share-work-that-matters-with-an-authentic-audience
Ford NGL. (2023). The foundations of powerful partnerships. Available from: https://fordnglu.com/courses/the-foundations-of-powerful-partnership-teams/
Gatsby. (2023). Good Career Guidance. Available from: https://www.gatsby.org.uk/education/focus-areas/good-career-guidance
Ofsted. (2016). How secondary schools prepare young people for work. Available from: 1 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/enterprise-education-how-secondary-schools-prepare-young-people-for-work
PBL Works. (2023). Authenticity. Available from: https://my.pblworks.org/resource/blog/gold_standard_pbl_authenticity
PBL Works. (2018). Four ways to think about authenticity. Available from: https://www.pblworks.org/blog/four-ways-think-about-authenticity-through-lens-gold-standard-pbl-videos