Welcome to the tutorial for Pattern Group.
Students must complete a pattern with a set of three cards. All sets must either be all alike or all different based upon different graphics on the cards. Depending upon the level, the student will select either one, two or three cards to complete the set.
Skills trained:
Major: logic and reasoning, VP-discrimination, divided attention, working memory, processing speed
Minor: comprehension, selective attention, long term memory, VP-manipulation, sustained attention, saccadic fixations
When you first click to begin any exercise, you will see the instruction screen. These instructions change for each level. There is a link to play an audio version of the instructions if needed.
Otherwise click OK to go to the next screen. On the next screen, click start to begin the exercise.
Below are the instructions for level 1.
Below is the game screen for level 1.
The goal is to complete a set of three cards.
A set must contain cards with symbols that are either all alike in their characteristics, such as all blue, or they must be all different, such as one blue, one red and one yellow. Analyze each characteristic individually.
In the example above, you are given two cards to start and you must select the third card to make a set.
The first step is to consider if the first two cards are alike or different in any way.
They have different colors so the third card must be different than either of the first two. The first two are blue and yellow, so you know you are looking for a red card.
However, they are also alike because they have the same cone graphic. So you know the third card must contain the same style of cone to be similar.
Given those two conditions, you know you are looking for a card with a red cone. Select the card with the red cone in the lower left corner to make a set.
Remember, for each feature, the set must be all alike or all different.
If you select the wrong card, you will see a message on the screen that says Bad Group, pick another card. You will have to click on the wrong card to remove it so you can select another card.
The game is timed so you have to make your selections as quickly as you can. If you choose a wrong card, time will be taken away as a penalty. So you cannot randomly select cards until you accidentally find the right card.
Each level is more complex.
The objects will either be different colors, shapes, sizes, locations or direction. There are five different variations you have to take into consideration. Each variations has three different forms. Only two or three variables will be changing for a given round. The other variables will be fixed.
Color = red, blue or yellow
Shape = cone, rectangle or oval
Size = large, medium or small
Location = left upper corner, middle, lower right corner
Direction = vertical, 45 degree angle or horizontal
Below are several examples of the different combinations.
As the levels become more complex, you will be provided with fewer cards to start until you have to select all three cards from the choices.
Below is an example from level 6.
You can quickly see that all the cards are red and the size is small so these two characteristics are not in play. However, direction and placement vary so that is where you focus.
You see the first two choices are rectangle so you know the third choice has to be a rectangle to be all the same.
You see one is in the upper left and one is in the middle so you know the choice cannot be the same so you have to look for what makes all three different in location. The third one has to be in the lower right so all three are different. You also see one is horizontal and one is at a 45 degree angle, so the third one must be different or vertical. Select the card with a rectangle in the lower right corner that is vertical.
Below is an example from level 10. Here you are only given one card to start and must select two. The logic is slightly different than when you have two cards to compare.
You have to focus on the card choices. You note that your starting card is a small oval in the middle of the card and is vertical. You glance at your choices and see they are all the same size and vertical so these variables are not in play. Check to see if any choices provide three cards that match, for example, two yellow or two ovals. They don’t, so you know all three cards must be different in color and shape. That means the yellow cone and red oval are not in the running. The only two choices that will give you all different cards are the blue cone and red rectangle.
The following example is from level 17. You have no cards to start; you must select all three cards.
You can quickly see that all choices are red and cones, so those variables are not in play. Size and placement are the changing variables.
There are not three the same size and same placement, so the set must be all different. So you need one of each size and one in each possible place.
Medium cone in the upper left, small cone in the middle and large cone in the lower right.
Or it could be large in the upper left, small in the middle and medium in the lower right.
Two choices are possible.
See if you can figure this one out on your own.
