Instructions for Amaze

In this program you must find your way through a maze with as few errors as possible. This task is made more difficult by making the maze boundaries invisible so you must find your way by trial and error.
Before you start the exercise you may want to change a few of the options from the default settings. This can be done by pressing the middle or MENU button of the mouse over the main window. The main menu will appear and you can change the input device, the difficulty level, the maze number and the type of maze learning paradigm utilised.

There are three choices potentially available for input. These are mouse, keyboard or 'concept keyboard' (if an appropriate I/O podule is present).

There are four specific levels of difficulty: *Easy*, *Moderate*, *Hard* and *Very Hard*. These levels vary in the number of choice points found in each maze - the more choice points, the greater the difficulty. At each difficulty level there are 4 equivalent mazes to choose from.

There are three modes of maze learning available. These are: *Standard*, *Trail* and *Restart*. A brief description of each follows.

Standard

In this mode if a correct move is made, you will advance to that position, leaving no indication of where you have come from. If you make an error a red 'X' will appear in the spot you attempted to move to, but you will be left in the same position.

Trail

As in Standard mode, if you make a correct move you will advance to that position. However; in Trail mode you will leave an indication or trail of where you were previously. If you make an error a red 'X' will appear in the spot you attempted to move to, but you will be left in the same position.

Restart

The Restart mode differs from the Standard mode only when an error is made. If you make an error a red 'X' will appear in the spot you attempted to move to, and you will be put back in the starting position. Note - this can be very frustrating so use this mode with caution.

If you are using the mouse, you can start the game by moving the pointer over the *Start* icon and *Selecting* by pressing the left (SELECT) button on the mouse. If you are using the keyboard or concept keyboard, press the SPACEBAR. You are now ready to move from the starting corner of the maze. This is done by:

1) Moving the pointer over the arrows on the left side of the display and *Selecting* the direction of movement by pressing the left (SELECT) button on the mouse.

2) If using the keyboard, pressing the correct arrow (or cursor) key for the direction you wish to go

3) If using a Concept Keyboard (Overlay 3) press the arrowed area corresponding to the desired direction.

When you have made your move you will have immediate feedback as to whether it was correct or not. Keep working until you get to the *END* box in the maze. When this happens you will be given some information about how you did. The goal is to be able to traverse the maze with no errors. It is not expected that anyone can do this immediately. Everyone has to learn the maze and it will therefore take a number of attempts before you succeed. When you do succeed the first time, pat yourself on the back, take a *deep breath* and try the maze again. The criterion for learning is defined here as 2 consecutive error-free attempts. When you manage this, take a well-deserved break.

G o o d L u c k !!!

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