This study explores the impact of project-based learning (PjBL) with an authentic context on undergraduate students' engagement in a technology integration course. The research design is a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data to examine behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement. The study was conducted over four semesters with 121 undergraduate students from a large public university in the United States. The Stop Animation project, which was redesigned to include real-world clients from elementary schools, was compared to a non-real-world context project. The results showed that students in the real-world context project reported higher engagement levels compared to those in the non-real-world context. Specifically, students in the real-world context demonstrated significantly higher cognitive and emotional engagement. Qualitative data further revealed that real-world audiences motivated students to invest more time and effort in creating high-quality learning resources, enhancing their understanding of technology integration and service learning. The study highlights the importance of authentic contexts in PjBL for improving student engagement and understanding in higher education settings.This study explores the impact of project-based learning (PjBL) with an authentic context on undergraduate students' engagement in a technology integration course. The research design is a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data to examine behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement. The study was conducted over four semesters with 121 undergraduate students from a large public university in the United States. The Stop Animation project, which was redesigned to include real-world clients from elementary schools, was compared to a non-real-world context project. The results showed that students in the real-world context project reported higher engagement levels compared to those in the non-real-world context. Specifically, students in the real-world context demonstrated significantly higher cognitive and emotional engagement. Qualitative data further revealed that real-world audiences motivated students to invest more time and effort in creating high-quality learning resources, enhancing their understanding of technology integration and service learning. The study highlights the importance of authentic contexts in PjBL for improving student engagement and understanding in higher education settings.