Using ICT to help with creative writing - Epic Citadel

I was talking to an English teacher the other week and she commented that some pupils find it difficult to imagine scenarios or recall memories which may inspire them to write creatively. One aspect of the GCSE English Language syllabus requires pupils to:

“Write to communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, using and adapting forms and selecting vocabulary appropriate to task and purpose in ways that engage the reader”

(AQA English Language GCSE 4b AO3)

I began to wonder if ICT could help us.

Epic Citadel

At a recent teachmeet I was shown the app Epic Citadel, available for free on Android and Apple devices.

Epic Citadel is a beautifully rendered Medieval style scene which the user is able to walk around freely. The app is a demo of the capabilities of the Unreal 3 engine, but an alternative use could be to use the rich colours, textures and features of this world to inspire students to think and write creatively.

As the pupils walk through the area, they can describe what they see, explain textures and items. The more able pupils might even imagine scenarios or events based around their exploration, and turn it into a short story. They can individually walk round the citadel using their own devices in the class or at home. It will be interesting to see how varied the descriptions are as they will all experience the same virtual landscape, but in their own individual ways. I’m going to suggest it to our English Department as an idea and see how we get on with it.

iPad and Android Links:



Edit: After I posted this, I realised the Mr.P had done even more work previously on Epic Citadel. For even more ideas, check his blog out:

http://mrparkinsonict.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/epic-citadel-igniting-childrens.html