Showcase

A real world audience

Real-world work needs a real-world audience, and a showcase is a vital aspect of the PBL approach. Presenting their work gives students an authentic connection to the world beyond the classroom and

can motivate them to produce something they want to show off. Newmann and Wehlage (1993, p. 10) cite “connectedness to the world beyond the classroom” as one of five standards of authentic instruction, defining this connectedness as a way for students to engage with real-world, public problems that require them to use personal experience in their problem-solving approach.

The process of preparing for a showcase also encourages reflection on the learning which has taken

place, including the content learning, skills learning, problem solving and collaboration that the students have engaged in. More importantly, a showcase is an opportunity for students to celebrate effort and success. Inviting external guests such as parents, employers, and collaborators allows the students to share their learning with a wider community audience, and asking professional invitees to judge a PBL product means that the students focus on creating something high-quality that fully meets the project brief. However, parents alone do not make up an authentic audience. Berger et al (2014), in their book which explores student-engaged assessment, describe a ‘Hierarchy of Audience’. The more authentic the audience and public the work, the more students are motivated and engaged. This hierarchy increases in authenticity from presenting to a teacher to fulfil requirements; presenting to parents; presenting to a public audience beyond school; presenting to people capable of critiquing (such as local employers or relevant businesspeople); and finally being of service to the world.