Nintendo Uses Super Mario Maker for 3DS to Promote STEM Activities for Kids

Once I saw Bowser in the thumbnail I thought Thomas was behind it... by now it's an unwritten rule, I guess!

This just sounds like them trying to sell the game. What does it have to do with STEM?

I'm just happy all those children are protected from the awful wilds of the internet with the Mario Maker 3ds limited online system. Thank god they will continue to be protected with the FORCED app for online use of the Switch.

I have my beef with port but if it make children happy then who am I to complain.

@Dezzy it is them trying to sell a game. But Mario Maker can spur creativity, critical thinking, you can build contraptions, and play with how everything in the game interacts with each other.

Lol. STEM also was used for America's Next Top Model Cycle 22 before (Part of Challenges).
Btw, the kids looks so enjoy their 3DS time.
Oh, by looking at Bowser and Bowser Jr. picture above, I think Bowser is not badass villain after all.

I'm way ahead of these people.

My kids are 7 and under and they love mario maker. sit next to them and just watch how they make, un-make, and experiment I can see their little brains becoming super-intelligent beings. The creativity is great for growth. It's very similar to how they play legos or things that have structure with freedom. only thing that would make it better was if it was super Luigi maker.

@ThomasBW84
And after you putting up with my request this morning in the Nintendo Download update article, I thought I should give you a little extra for your trouble as my way to say thank you: I'll have you know that Bowser has joined a boy band.

It's way better for a game design class

@Setery10
I think I'm going to use the Wii U version in my class this semester. Haven't decided for sure yet. Also planning on a brainstorming session about game concepts for Nintendo Switch. Much easier to bring in and experiment with than the Wii U. (Mario Maker on Switch, Nintendo?)

[Insert rant about not being able to play the levels my son creates on my WiiU here] ..... God forbid that I'm able to share feedback with him and actually interact with him in the game between fortnightly visits.

A very interesting learning tool, I hope it has the effect they're going for!

Those poor precocious kids who want to know why their game world can't have slopes though, how do we explain it to them?

@ThomasBW84

I'd agree with that but not sure that's something you're going to teach through a session in Mario Maker. It's something you need to learn first (over years of education) and THEN apply to Mario Maker

@aaronsullivan I didn't know you are a teacher. What do you teach?

All I know is Doug Bowser should handle more press releases so articles can directly quote Bowser.

There's certainly some potential, but I still see games such as Minecraft and especially SpaceChem as better candidates for creative exploration and STEM. They, overall, have better educational value due to their more versatile toolboxes.

@JHDK It actually seems like it can be a good idea.

@DoctorWily I teach computing sciences courses including courses for a game programming and design program. Game courses are the most fun as we do plenty of hands-on group work and get some games made. It's a two-year transfer program so I get to do foundational stuff more than bigger finished games, but I love it.

Do you think I could incorporate Mario Maker into a highschool art class?

As ridiculous as this concept might sound, it's actually a fantastic idea. I grew up writing code for games before home consoles even existed and that knowledge has been beneficial to me throughout my life. I think they should make more games like this for the youngsters and even older gamers who are new to this. Wasn't there an RPG maker at one time, as well? Perhaps they should bring that back too but with a Mario theme?

Games are very good for your brain & eye-sight in moderation, so it only makes that it'll be a very good learning tool also.

@King_Johobo : If you can think of a sensible way to justify it, then sure. Back in the day, I used to make videos with The Sims 2 whenever I thought I could get away with it (and I always scored top marks for them). I did a couple for a Visual Arts project in the tenth grade, and another for my Advanced English class in my final year of high school. The latter project also incorporated violence, drug use, profanity and a sex scene (all in the name of "art"). I wanted the sex scene to be nude as well, but I didn't think that the parts looked convincing enough (The Sims 2 modding community was still in its infancy at the time), so I resisted, and not out of fear of reprisal. My teacher said nothing of the racy content, though my math teacher's jaw dropped as she happened to be writing up report cards at the time the video was being screened to the class.

Any excuse to set yourself apart when doing a practical assessment is a good thing. If you can justify the use of say Super Mario Maker to do it, then go for it.

@sillygostly haha sounds scandalous! That's the great thing about art you can push the boundaries in the name of it Though these days schools need to abide by so many rules and regulations, I'd probably need some kind of parent consent before I did that! This question was actually coming from the perspective of a preservice art teacher and not a student though lol but thanks for the reply I guess I'd say it was part of some kind of innovative STEAM program, they'd buy that.

@King_Johobo : All the better. If you can find a way to incorporate Mario Maker into your class (or perhaps consider other, possibly cheaper/free games), then I'm sure your students will love you for it. Not everybody will have a 3DS or Wii U, so perhaps your idea can incorporate other games with level editing tools (Minecraft being particularly popular with kids).

Perhaps one idea you'd like to consider is the creative use of digital media or derivative works to tell a story different to the source material.

That's a great idea! I've always thought about ways of analysing and critiquing video games and digital media as a creative medium and even using them in artitistic practice and incorporating that into curriculum. That's the good (and bad) thing about my subject area, it's up to me to create the curriculum for it instead of following a set one.