This paper describes the implementation of a new and innovative learning activity created to enhance the learning experience of psychology undergraduate dissertation students. The writing retreat is a student-based learning activity which aims to address students' needs over the final stages of the dissertation module. Involving active-learning, blended learning, and integrating with module assessment strategies (Laurillard, 2007), the event offers workshops on responding to formative feedback, writing skills, preparing the discussion chapter, and putting together the final dissertation document. The event aims to facilitate a learning environment that supports student autonomy, since this type of environment can have a positive effect on students' intrinsic motivation (Hagger et al., 2003, 2006). To assess the effectiveness of the writing retreat, we employed a Self-Determination Theory perspective (Ryan & Deci, 2000) to investigate if the writing retreat facilitated an autonomous -- hence beneficial -- learning environment.