The introduction of an open-ended MicroWorlds based assignment in a pre-service teaching degree produced interesting results. Students engaged with the task at very high levels and produced work of high quality; so much so that marking trends were reversed. This paper explores the design and implementation of the task and how for many students it allowed them the opportunity to shine. Students who performed poorly in written assignments achieved excellent marks and reported high levels of engagement and satisfaction. There was also an improvement in marks of students from non-English speaking backgrounds. The paper details the experiences of particular students and relates their experiences to issues of assessment models in multimedia and the establishment of constructivist learning environments using IT. Some students experienced considerable difficulty and frustration with this task; their experience is also discussed within the context of these issues. The projects themselves are analysed, along with interviews and observations in an attempt to illustrate the success (and failure for some) of this experience. The individual approaches to the task and the processes used in the creation of projects are also investigated. The paper also refers to the development of literacies, multimodality and to the continued development of effective (and affective) learning environments. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)