Outcomes and evaluation

What seems to be the most powerful message coming from this project is that the world of Myst is such a rich and intriguing one that learners of all abilities and attitudes to writing seem to be incredibly engaged and motivated to write.

The world of Myst allows the player to explore the wonderful views and richly detailed scenes and to engage with the captivating plot. As a result, little effort seems to be required by the teacher to help children formulate ideas to write about. This frees the teachers to focus on helping the children improve the quality of their writing.

There also seems to have been a particular motivating effect on boys and in particular reluctant writers who have struggled to muster any interest in previous writing projects.

The use of narrative-driven games such as Myst to draw learners in so that they can be motivated to write is an approach that appears to resonate with learners. The accompanying videos in this case study help to exemplify this project in action.