Super Mario Galaxy as a Model for Learning

I’ve been playing Super Mario Galaxy a lot on the Wii and thinking how it’s quite enjoyable and that I’m also learning a lot (in the context of a universe filled with various gravities, worlds, stars and princesses). In spending time in that world, it’s fascinating to see how you explore and develop the skills that are needed to complete the challenges that you face as Mario in the game. What are the implications for teaching and learning? Could Mario show us better ways to construct environments where learning can happen?

The Nintendo Wii is a beautifully-designed gaming system and Super Mario Galaxy brings Nintendo’s core character to the platform with a complex and richly-detailed world that is fun and filled with learning. To get through the game you have to collect 120 stars (twice!), which means that you must go through 240 different levels each with rules and powers that change. When my daughter completed the game, she said it was the first video game that she had finished all the way through. The game kept her challenged and encouraged enough so she stuck with it to complete things. That’s the perfect balance we need to strike with learners as they expand their skills and apply them.

Within the game there is a good balance between easier tasks and more complex ones. Everything is divided into manageable chunks so you can spend a little time on it and then get on with your life. A three hour class repeated in 15 weekly increments may not be the most effective way to learn. With many video games you can get to a certain point and as frustration increases you just give up. It’s the same sort of experience that many people have with learning and the biggest challenge that I find in facilitating learning is to convince someone that they can do it. The first time you use a new capability or technique in Super Mario Galaxy it is relatively easy. With the later levels where that skill is critical, you have had the opportunity to practice that skill so you are much more effective with it.

While there aren’t any tutorials as such within the game, there is a lot of help from signs and various creatures who will let you know how to defeat enemies. A great way to learn the game is to help someone play. The game is mainly a one-player game, but if someone picks up the other Wii controller they can help you with “Co-star” mode, and they can collect star bits (which help you do stuff) and protect you from enemies. Some of the levels are quite difficult to complete alone and having someone with you makes it more fun and more possible, which is how we can learn as well.

While the universe of Super Mario Galaxy is quite large, you don’t have to progress in a strictly linear fashion. You choose where you want to go and more worlds appear as you complete them. With learning there are some things that you may need to understand before progressing, but there should be some flexibility to allow for the development and exploration of pathways that would not be the same from person to person. If you start off by seeing a map with 120 blank spaces, it can be intimidating and for many learners they can be intimidated by seeing a large list of skills and work that they must complete within a course.

As I begin to develop more support material that can be delivered outside of the classroom, I think about that lessons that I’ve learned from Mario and how they can be applied to make learning easier, flexible and more fun. Wouldn’t it be great to see new possibilities open up as you complete certain tasks that allow you to demonstrate competencies? Now I’m trying to think about the courses that I teach as worlds to explore with challenges to face with rewards waiting at the end. Not necessarily using video games to teach, but to make learning more of an adventure and a voyage of discovery and exploration.