L&D Article Review #21

What can video games teach us about learning? A whole lot if you ask those that play them! Today, I was inspired by Cara North's recommendation to look into one of the most iconic introductory levels of all time: Super Mario Bros World 1-1. This is my 30 L&D articles in 30 days challenge. Here We Go! (Link to the article down below)

Article #21: The Perfect Level: How Super Mario Bros and ‘World 1-1’ Changed Everything - By Paul Tamburro

How long it took to read? - 7 minutes

Who is it for? - Those who want inspiration from some childhood nostalgia.

What I took from this article - I've always felt that the best way to learn something is to try and fail. Videos games really emphasize this. When a gamer fails, they often learn from their mistakes and come back with important questions like: "Why did I fail? & "How can I improve?" These new strategies encourage perseverance and eventual success.

Tamburro's article reflects on one of the most iconic introductory levels ever, Super Mario Bros, in order to explain how its design explained everything you needed to know about the game in around 2 minutes. By introducing a side scroller that only moves one way and a differentiation between a power-up and enemy, the Mario team set the stage for the learner.

This is really emphasized by a quote from the designers: "Once the player realizes what they need to do, it becomes their game.” Considering many cabinet games at the time were quarter-grabbing black holes, this shift in design was intended to inform and educate, rather than frustrate. instead of throwing overwhelming challenge at the learner again and again, the Mario team guided the learner through scaled difficulty as they progressed. Overall, this article helped me find some more appreciation for my lifelong hobby!