Why are missions better than quests?

Interesting development: it seems like everyone seems to want to start with the missions.  

Is it because the quests are boring?  Maybe we could find ways to make them more interesting. 

Is it because there isn't actually as much relevance between the quests and the final mission as there should be?  Is it because you don't actually need to complete the quests before you're able to do the mission?

Is it because the missions are more intrinsically interesting?  If so, then what are we doing right?

Is it because if you try the missons first you have a better understanding of the relevance of the quests?

On the other hand, I may be wrong about my original assumption.  Which leads to other questions such as :
Are the missions intrinsically interesting and worthwhile?
Are the quests useful in helping you to accomplish the missions?
Do you feel the quests and missions help you to learn English?
Do you feel the quests and missions help you to learn about global issues?

And possibly the scariest question of all (for me!):

Are you learning anything in this course?