To study student motivation and performance on a research project in a college-level humanities class, students were given a choice of three assignments. They could choose a traditional research paper on art, a creative narrative modeled after the popular novel "Girl with a Pearl Earring," (Tracy Chevalier), or a WebQuest on the Holocaust. Most students chose either the creative narrative or the WebQuest. Their papers were of a higher quality than those of the students who chose the traditional research paper, based on preset criteria. A survey of student responses to the assignments indicated that the students who chose the alternative assignments had a higher sense of satisfaction with their work than those who chose the traditional paper. Appended is information for undertaking each of the three projects. (Author/BT)