The terms ‘authentic learning’ or ‘real world’ learning are used throughout this literature review, and no attempt to define these has yet been made. This is not because this is not an important consideration, but rather because it is of such importance that it merited greater consideration than other terms which could be easily clarified in a footnote. Defining authentic learning presents many of the same challenges as defining project-based, problem-based, or inquiry learning above, in that there is some disagreement amongst researchers as to what precisely constitutes authentic learning. Beier et al. (2019) focus on a narrow interpretation of Thomas’ (2000) definition of an authentic project, considering only those that are client or employer-driven. Others use the term more broadly; Thomas (2013) for example does not specify elements which make learning authentic, focussing instead on the outcomes. For her, authentic learning is that which imbues students with the thinking skills necessary for most pathways into a 21st century workforce. Many of the outcomes she mentions have significant overlap with the outcomes of Fink (2013)’s significant learning, which is not surprising considering both focus on how to take learning beyond the classroom.
How then is learning made authentic, to allow for the development of these skills that are applicable beyond the classroom? Knobloch (2003) places a great deal of emphasis on the context of the learning; learning taking place in real-world contexts is more likely to carry over to applications in the real world. Much of the literature agrees that it is the teaching method as much as the specific topic that enables the learning to be authentic; problem-based (Carvalho, 2016) as well as project-based and inquiry-based (Thomas 2013) are both considered methods that allow for authentic learning to take place. This is not to say that the topic of focus of these teaching methods must not also contribute to authenticity. Work that merely borrows from the real world to create a visual (such as word problems in mathematics concerning the addition or subtraction of marbles or apples) does not necessarily trigger this type of learning, and is therefore not automatically assumed to be authentic. At the heart of the classification lies the applicability of the
learning for the future, and it is this criterion that will supersede all others in determining if authentic learning has indeed taken place.
It is little surprising that project-based learning and authentic learning are considered together; while it is certainly possible for learning to be authentic without being PBL, the reverse is not true. A project-based learning project must be authentic in order to be considered PBL. This has roots in the origins of the PBL project, which developed long before modern pedagogical notions, but to achieve similar ends. From the model’s origin in the 16th century "progetti" held at the architectural academies of Rome (Knoll, 1997), the PBL project has been used to equip the learner with the skills necessary to succeed in life after the conclusion of formal education. These early projects were purely hypothetical; an exercise in imagination. In these cases, the tangible artefact was the design rather than the structure it planned for. In such a way were students able to apply their skills (and knowledge) directly to the sort of task they might face upon graduation.
Projects were also brought in to increase the authenticity of learning in other subjects, most notably engineering. The University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana (then the Illinois Industrial University) school of Mechanical Engineering was from its founding based on the idea that practical work, particularly projects, make up an essential component of the curriculum (Illinois Industrial University, 1868). This was seen as a way to create industry-ready graduates in the field of engineering because they allow the development of those transferrable skills (§1.4.2) that help students make the transition from learners to practitioners. Learning by doing is an essential element here as well, as when students are actively participating in these projects, it is likely the authenticity of the project is more apparent to them as well.
Authenticity remains a key component of project-based learning across disciplines. Vogler et al. (2018) made authentic collaboration a cornerstone of their project, defining authenticity as a realistic context where the skills applied to complete the project were the same ones that would be used outside the classroom (p. 458), such as communicating across disciplines (in this instance, computer science, graphic design, and hotel/restaurant administration), and negotiating with those other disciplines to work within constraints similar to client demands. The students’ perceptions of the skills they needed in terms of collaboration and teamwork mirrored a typical client and contractor viewpoint (p. 466) seen in industry as well. In this sense, by doing a project related to their chosen industry, the students were developing not only skills but also attitudes that they will carry with them beyond the classroom.