Both student and teacher interview data provided abundant evidence that students enjoyed
writing stories in science, using their imagination and creativity, and writing differently in
science while learning about something new (i.e., biosecurity). Students also enjoyed accessing
information technologies in order to research, construct and upload their BioStories. Students’
comments indicated that BioStories engaged diverse learners by enhancing the accessibility of
science learning for those students who admitted to not enjoying science, and those that found
regular science quite difficult. These students felt that they enjoyed and could better grasp the
concept of writing a narrative that incorporated scientific information, as opposed to writing a
scientific report. Furthermore, the student-centred nature of the BioStories’ project, in which
students researched and authored their own stories about biosecurity, not only enhanced their
interest and enjoyment of the project, but also appeared to contribute to the development and
retention of conceptual science understandings, as evidenced by the students’ recall and
elaboration of relevant concepts pertinent to biosecurity at interview