Authentic Project

An authentic project in Project-Based Learning is an artifact the participants actually need or will genuinely use after the workshop, rather than a simulated exercise they will abandon at the end. Authenticity is the load-bearing distinction that separates Project-Based Learning from conventional "applied exercise" formats — simulated projects produce simulated learning, while authentic projects produce durable capability. The term originates in Buck Institute's "Gold Standard PBL" framework from John Larmer, John Mergendoller, and Suzie Boss, where it is one of the seven essential project-design elements.