A circular diagram titled "Gold Standard PBL: Seven Essential Project Design Elements" with a central white circle listing "Learning Goals: Key Knowledge, Understanding, Success Skills." Surrounding the circle are seven colored segments with icons and labels: challenging problem or question, public product, critique and revision, reflection, student voice and choice, authenticity, and sustained inquiry.

A Challenging Problem or Question

The project is framed by a meaningful problem to be solved or a question to answer, at the appropriate level of challenge

Sustained Inquiry

Students engage in a rigorous, extended process of posing questions, finding resources, and applying information.

Authenticity

The project involves real-world context, tasks and tools, quality standards, or impact, or the project speaks to personal concerns, interests, and issues in the students’ lives.

Student Voice & Choice

Students make some decisions about the project, including how they work and what they create, and express their own ideas in their own voice.

Reflection

Students and teachers reflect on the learning, the effectiveness of their inquiry and project activities, the quality of student work, and obstacles that arise and strategies for overcoming them.

Critique & Revision

Students give, receive, and apply feedback to improve their process and products.

A large question mark inside a jagged speech bubble.
A fingerprint in black on a white background.
A line art drawing of a human head in profile with a tangled scribble representing the brain.
Simple drawing of an analog clock showing 11:55.
Speech bubble with three dots inside, indicating conversation or thinking.
A black and white hand-drawn circular arrow pointing clockwise.