How to Write Engaging PBL Driving Questions Simply and Clearly

Project-based learning is a phenomenal teaching method that allows students to dig deeper into relevant, real-world, and meaningful concepts. PBL driving questions frame these valuable learning experiences.

Whether a project-based learning experience is teacher-led or student-directed, writing a driving question is often the first step in PBL design. It is also one of the biggest struggles.

​Let's dive into exactly what a PBL driving question is and how to write them in a way that doesn't make you or your students want to pull your hair out!

So how do you write a PBL driving question? How do your students write one? What are some PBL driving question examples? This blog post will fill you in on all things related to driving questions! 

Not all project-based educators find a driving question necessary. For a long time, my students designed and executed self-directed project-based learning activities without a driving question.

​Instead, they brainstormed a topic of interest, chose a subtopic under a theme assigned to them, and wrote a list of inquiry questions or categories to guide the research process.

That was fine, but I discovered after many years of doing it this way that my students were going through the motions of a research project without seeing the bigger picture or the purpose of the experience. 

Project-based learning is about so much more than gathering statistics and gluing that info to a poster board.

It is deep, sustained inquiry, with authentic, integrated, real-world experiences intermixed. My students were not seeing the latter half of that sentence. They were only seeing the short-term goal; a project-based learning rubric score.

Because of this, I eventually started adding a PBL driving question as a requirement. The purpose of a driving question is to make the how, what, AND why as clear as day.

​My students felt more confident going forward with their projects because their goals and the purpose were clearly written into their driving questions.

Yes, Please! Give me Access!

If you have purchased any of my project-based learning resources you have seen that a PBL driving question is written into the project plan.

​This blog post is intended to help you and your students write that question. I have listed out the components that I include in a PBL driving question. They do not have to be written in this order. Mix it up, just try to include all of them.

How to Write a PBL Driving Question in 5 Easy Steps

1. Question:

A project-based learning driving question is a question after all, so it makes sense to have a question written into it. The question should be open-ended. If you ask a question that has one right or wrong answer, the PBL experience is over. Encourage students to think in the upper levels of Bloom's Taxonomy.

The question could start with "How", "Should", "What", "Could" and so on. 

PBL Driving Question Example: How can our senior class create a free, interactive, digital career station for students and other job seekers in the community to make career inquiries seamless and accessible to all?

​2. Action-Taker(s)

​The action-taker is the person or group that will participate in or execute the experience. This is written into the driving question so that students are clear on who will be involved, including peers, partners, and collaborators

The action-taker might be "I", "our economics class", "our neighborhood community", etc. 

PBL Driving Question Example: How can our senior class create a free, interactive, digital career station for students and other job seekers in the community to make career inquiries seamless and accessible to all?

​3. Action

The action is what the action-takers will do or create. This is the "what" of the experience. What final product will they make? What service will they provide? This is essentially the final product or information that they will produce that will serve or impact the community.

PBL Driving Question Example: How can our senior class create a free, interactive, digital career station for students and other job seekers in the community to make career inquiries seamless and accessible to all?

4. Recipient

The recipient is an important piece of project-based learning. PBL is authentic, meaning the experience and outcomes should be relevant and impactful to those beyond the walls of the classroom.

An authentic presentation is an important component of project-based learning that distinguishes it from other teaching methods.

Students do not share their final products exclusively with their teacher and class. They share it with the public, and not just the public in general, but a public audience that is relevant to the topic or final product. The person or group that will receive the information or product is written directly into the driving question.

PBL Driving Question Example: How can our senior class create a free, interactive, digital career station for students and other job seekers in the community to make career inquiries seamless and accessible to all?

​5. Impact

The impact is the "why", the purpose, and the ultimate goal of a project-based learning activity. Students often ask me why we do something. Why are we learning this? The impact is their answer.

The impact gives students a sense of purpose and desire to participate in the experience. I felt that the impact was a little lost with my self-directed high school students without a driving question. 

The impact is what the action-takers wish to impart to the recipient(s) of the final product or information shared.
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PBL Driving Question Example: How can our senior class create a free, interactive, digital career station for students and other job seekers in the community to make career inquiries seamless and accessible to all?

Again, mix and match these PBL driving question components as you please. The idea is simply to provide students with clarity and purpose.

It will be a work in progress, and that is okay! PBL driving questions do not have to be perfect. Good luck! And as always, reach out and connect with any questions!​

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