Skill acquisition is something offered by video games. The ability to acquire a skill and use it somewhere else? To make it transferable? The ability to adapt? It’s a skill all people share. Some of us stick and move, while folks choose to groove. With the power of music we learn the ability to vibe out to our own routine. That’s the vibe we can catch through the power of play. Join myself, Bryan Carter and Michael Stauffer as we discuss Autism, Skill Acquisition and his latest project – Groove Catcher.

Michael Stauffer is developing a virtual reality-based tool called Groove Catcher to help children and adults with neuroatypical challenges, including those on the Autism spectrum, those with ADHD, sensory integration differences, or with Dementia. Groove Catcher makes important movement therapies fun, safe, and engaging so users can better reach their therapy goals for better neuromotor and social-emotional skills. Michael has founded a local company Vizmoo LLC to bring this technology to the market. He talked with us recently about the story behind Groove Catcher and how he believes the new technology of VR enables exciting possibilities for therapeutics that are otherwise impractical and even impossible.

Bryan Carter: How did you develop this space of music, dance, and video games?
Michael Stauffer: I always loved music. I have played the guitar since I was 15. I wasn’t naturally good. I had to fight for my skills, and still even at the age of 51. These days I do vocal and musical improv with friends, and dancing.
In high school, I was a science geek, a techy and played with early computers, and played in a loud rock band. My Dad always had different kinds of work machines where I tried to play space invaders. In college I did biology and neuroscience and I was in a psychedelic rock band and studied some music theory. I was always interested in Psychology and Art and got this idea early on from live shows. I think it came from the fact that I don’t actually have a naturally musical mind, apart from loving music. There are folks out there who can readily learn and hear music theory concepts, and can clearly hear and follow individual notes and harmonies in a song. I wasn’t able to do that and because I struggled, I tapped into these internal visual expressions to understand and give structure to what was happening in the music I loved. They were vague in the beginning. The idea of merging senses came together later.

I wanted to use the visual language of art to bring music to life. I studied language processing, neural science, etc to help me. What made this transformative was the idea of translating dance. Learning to dance taught me to use my body to express musical ideas and forces. In 2005 I did a visual music project with a friend because we wanted people to be able to see the music. I wanted to add movement to the visuals so people can see the music’s movement. I did that with a bit of coding and rhythmic changes to create the visual elements, but it was limited.

I tried using the Nintendo Power Glove, which was part of an early consumer VR system, but between the limitations of the system and my limited skills, I couldn’t get much out of it. 10 years later at Penn, I was working on a masters in gaming technology. We had a class on game design and VR and I realized that with these improved VR tools I could now more easily track my movements and use them for artistic visualizations. I did a project with other students to do that: track their movements and create a musical sculpture based on their dance. We didn’t get too far, but it was the model for the work I would do later and now I have a prototype system for building dynamic music sculptures based on dance. This is called Sculptor and it’s within the Groove Catcher software. At the same time I realized I could reverse the process and play back the movements someone had made as visual lines for another player to follow. That’s what I call “catching the music’, and is what evolved into Groove Catcher, a rhythm-and-flow game. That’s how we arrive at the present day.

Introducing Groove Catcher
Groove Catcher was developed around the same time the popular VR rhythm game Beat Saber was developed. The difference is that Groove is a rhythm and flow game so it can capture and express the two fundamental sides of music: rhythm and melody or lyricism. I started showing it in gaming expos and people loved it. At these events, therapists would spontaneously try the game because of their interest in gaming. Afterwards, they’d ask me if I thought about using Groove Catcher for the communities they serve. They saw it was not only fun, but also an embodied mindful practice, to follow the music and feel deeply engaged with it. My experience as an improvisational dancer allows me to create levels in the game that follow the rhythmic and melodic expression in the music, follow its contours and express the transitions and climatic changes.

One thing about video games is that you can really get people to practice repetitive behavior. Within a video game, it becomes fun and this is one of the aspects therapists liked. As I talked with more therapists, I was compelled to focus on building out the game as a therapeutic intervention. It’s more rewarding to build such a tool that can help people, and from a business perspective it’s a more focused market as well. For every financially successful game, there’s 1000 or so that fail, no exaggeration. From a personal and business perspective, I’m excited. At last now, I’m in the final stages where we’re preparing Groove Catcher for field testing this Spring with clinics and schools that support neuroatypical clients. If this sounds interesting to you, we’re looking for early testers and users!

Groove Catcher aligns with the ed tech space because there are neuroatypical children who get their first and sometimes only exposure to therapeutic services in school. If we can help kids with their special education needs, they’ll thrive more with their education. Groove Catcher helps build important basic skills that are critical to participating in learning activities. Therapists call these skills ‘neuromotor sensory integration’, ‘bilateral coordination’, ‘emotional regulation’, or ‘mirroring skills’. For example, if you’re not able to ‘mirror’ somebody because of an underlying challenge with sensory processing, it’s very hard to pay attention in class, it’s hard to work with a teacher or other students. This of course makes it really difficult to learn in a traditional school environment. Therapists work to build up mirroring skills through movement therapies that build neuromotor and sensory integration skills. And they practice face-to-face interactions. These therapies are known to be effective in many cases, but can get really boring and often require one-on-one attention from a therapist. With a fun VR experience, students are excited to participate more independently so they can get many more repetitions of the therparies under their belts. Also, we can create an environment that is less emotionally challenging to the student. This way we can lead them more gently into learning difficult skills, such as making eye contact and directly mirroring another person.

BC: What is it in Groove Catcher that would be beneficial to someone on the spectrum?
Groove Catcher is a rhythm and flow game, it’s about sensory-motor coordination, which means coordination between what you may see, hear, or feel, and the decisions and movements you make based on that. A common challenge for people on the Autism spectrum is sensory integration and sensory-motor coordination. Groove Catcher expands on existing approaches and movement therapies in a fun, engaging way to help build the low-level skills you need to integrate different sensory inputs, to make decisions and plan, and then execute movements in response.

We also have tools in the game to help with the important ‘mirroring’ skills for better social skills, and ways to help with emotional regulation to prepare a student for class.

BC: So, the game teaches its users to process complex instructions? Is that something that becomes translatable and if so, what do they look like?

I’d say the game trains users at a lower level so that they can better process complex instructions and coordinated movements afterwards. It doesn’t really train them directly to process complex instructions. We’re working at the lower level mostly that underpins everything else. In practice so far, we’re looking at a few particular benefits.

1. Low level movement therapy practice – If I can improve the coordination between my hands, it translates into being able to dress myself and tie my shoes. Another challenges in the autism space is learning to read, partly because following something from left to right is a sensory-motor integration challenge. Movement therapies can help with tracking left to right, and it’s similar with writing.

2. Social emotional realm – We want to use the game to help the kids practice mirroring skills, starting with mirroring movements, then there’s mirroring of facial expressions, voice, etc. These skills often need to be improved. If you cannot mirror someone, then you’re not able to understand, ask questions in class or ask peers, or even accept help from someone. It can be very difficult to practice mirroring skills, because the very act of following someone and looking at them can be emotionally overwhelming. We can make this process much more comfortable because of the special way that VR can make totally new environments. Therapists tell us that building up these mirroring skills translates into the real world by building better relationships with family, friends and teachers. From the educational standpoint this means better learning outcomes.

3. ADHD – emotional regulation. Therapists at school need something in between classes to get students ready for their next class, to get them ready to pay attention or to learn. We have an intervention in Groove Catcher to guide kids with high energy or low energy to a more ‘focused energy’ state where they’re ready for their next class.

BC: Would the game be able to adapt to the amount of sensory stimulation a person on the spectrum can handle?
Yes. When you play any game, you get visual feedback, or physical feedback from a rumble feature. When you follow a line in Groove Catcher, it sparkles and vibrates in your hand because the feedback confirms you’re playing the game well. However, we can turn off all or some of the sensory feedback to adapt to a player’s needs and comfort.

BC: I’m a parent or therapist and I like the work you’re doing. How can I learn more and get ready for its release?
Please get in touch with us through our site: www.vizmoo.com. We’re looking for testers right now to help us with field trials this Spring. We’ll lend out headsets with the software to our testers. Some people get intimidated by a VR system, but what’s available right now is surprisingly affordable ($300, and less expensive every year) and easy to use. This technology has come a long way recently. One of our goals is to make this affordable and to get it to everyone who can benefit from it, so we’re also looking for partners in foundations and companies who’d like to help with this.

BC: Has video game technology and hospitals come across your desk?
‘Digital Therapeutics’ is really big right now and fast-growing. It includes everything from something like Groove Catcher to a phone app that helps with medication management. We see a lot of potential for Groove Catcher in hospital and private practice clinical settings, but haven’t yet made contact with the right people at hospitals. If you’re reading this, we’d love to talk! One VR-based intervention for the Autism community that is in hospitals is Floreo – they do situational training for things like going to the store and talking with police. They are partnered with CHOP right now.

BC: Michael, it was a pleasure speaking with you about your music and work in gaming. Please continue onward with your research. It’s something I not only see benefiting Philadelphia, but our autism population and the world at large.

Be sure to listen out to catch the groove with Michael Stauffer this fall.

About Vizmoo
Vizmoo is a video game company encompassing play and therapy. Using music and rhythm, these award winning developers implement solutions using some of our favorite sounds to build tools and improve the lives of those with autism and other related conditions. Groove Catcher is one of many games in development. To learn more visit www.vizmoo.com.

“Teaching is a very interesting career. One of the many things I understand as an educator is the ability to teach in various ways, yet reaching students and peers at varying levels of understanding. As an educator, I am responsible for ensuring my students understand and make applicable the information provided. When I spoke with my peers, siblings and loved ones we noted some of the things everyone would need to know this Fall and the foreseeable future of a COVID learning environment”.

The COVID learning environment is one where educators in a social distance space provide learning virtually. Once we move past COVID-19, learning models that incorporate in person and virtual instruction will become the norm. This feature will focus primarily on helping parents and educators deliver instruction by identifying effective tools. 

The Exemplar Response

Early in my career, I unknowingly had students use their imagination to solve problems. Then I would grow frustrated because my students were not able to draw the conclusions I desired. What was I doing wrong? It wasn’t until I listened to a peer that I understood the deficit in my teaching – the exemplar response. Exemplar – a person or thing serving as a typical example or excellent model. By providing students with a vision of what their answer should look like, if you want the student to acquire a new skill then you must first demonstrate the skill; its correct use and guide them through each step to develop mastery. This includes patience, understanding how our students process, adjusting your language and at times, improvising.

We must first model the behavior. Next demonstrate together. Have the student copy you, ensuring they follow your exact steps. Finally, leave them to practice independently, providing guidance and redirection when they wander.  Once you have provided an example of the skill or task to be completed, there is little room for speculation. Everyone knows what the correct answer should look like.

You can use any of the following suggestions when providing instruction to your student:

1. Bolding specific instructions.
2. Using numbers or steps to help students identify parts of instructions 
3. I do/You Do/We Do
   • Show students what the task looks like
   • Do the task with the student
   • Allow the student to practice the task/skill independently with supervision

Approaches

As we continue navigating our virtual classrooms, we will get a better understanding of how students learn and apply new concepts. Some students learn through their hands, while others learn better by listening.

1. Using Video or Audio to help convey messages and lesson material. Students are able to see and hear their information.
2. Using full body responses or interactions to help convey lesson material or break stagnation. Get our students moving with learning.

Instructional Resources

Calling all new teachers and seasoned teachers. Here are some resources you can use to help enhance virtual instruction.

1. Miro – a virtual work space for educators, and a graphic organizer in one. You can add pictures, timers and build story books with this application.
2. Parlay – helps students work on their writing skills by use of discussion based tools and technology.
3. Kialo – according to their website “a unique tool for teaching critical thinking.” I consider this app super organized that allows you to vote, comment and allows students to cite their sources for any discussions taking place.
4. Kahoot – I heard about this game during my first two years of teaching. After some more exposure, I finally understood what it’s used for – fun. It’s literally used to break the seriousness of education. You can create customized questions that must be answered either in order, multiple choice, typed in and more. This is a great way to challenge student thinking in different ways while keeping life in the classroom.
5. Blender – a free 3D workspace that allows users to render models, especially for art or STEM related projects
6. Adobe Suite – For $21 dollars a month, teachers receive the full adobe creative suite. I am personally using this to enhance my classroom lessons. This is a prime resource for creative and artistic educators. Students are able to grab this at a discount as well.
   
7. Google Suite
   • Google Earth – Allows you to take students on virtual journeys wherever they want in the world. This program allows you to back in time at a specific location. You can see the difference between Philadelphia now vs 1989, as long as that option is available. This is a powerful tool when you want to use maps, discuss differences/similarities with areas and more.
   • Google Scholar – A database that contains scientific resources. From a personal level, this database contains files and information you may not find at your attending college or university.

Instructional tips and tricks of the trade

The one thing I take pride in is asking for help. Having an idea of what all educators at all levels are experiencing helps everyone.Here are some personal practices discovered and implemented during my virtual teaching career:

1. Give yourself a break – we are all under different stress and instructional requirements. Some of us are being forced to grow in ways we never imagined.  Be patient with yourself while we train ourselves to be better instructors at this time.
2. Don’t waste your time. Call the expert(s) and research. – I pride myself on being able to do anything, which is a gift and a curse. I don’t call for help because of the thrill of learning on my own. Sometimes it ends with me losing valuable time. Call the experts in your network. It may be for a skill, task or information. Now is the time to network.
3. The Spark of Combination – Find collaborators in your network, community and businesses in your area. If you’re like me and required to teach 2.5 hrs, that can be a lot, especially when we are all adjusting to new technologies. As mentioned above, find the experts in your network and have them guest instruct. Take the burden of mastering a new skill or technology off of your plate and zoom call a friend. Make them a part of your teaching experience, while providing a great opportunity for businesses to support their local educational institutions.
4. Planning for the tech learning curve and reteaching – Some of us are already feeling the hiccups virtual teaching is creating. One of those hiccups is reteaching. We are all experiencing different side effects of COVID, yet one thing remains consistent across the board: connectivity issues. I found myself upset being unable to hear how excited my students are about their learning. I also did not anticipate students struggling to learn computer skills. I now find myself incorporating time for technology practice before I can actually move on with an activity.
5. Converting Classroom Activities for Online Learning – I sat for 2hrs with a peer to reorganize my mind and creativity around the tools I’ve normalized; PowerPoint and Word. Typically I would print my work sheet, prep the PowerPoint, teach from the slides, while students followed along on their worksheets in the classroom.

With more accountability and ways to track data, the virtual classroom starts looking like this:

• Using the chat box for instant responses. Allows you to monitor the temperature and participation of the classroom.
• Using screen share to provide instant feedback to students when reviewing classwork
• Using breakout rooms/groups to help students
• Using slideshows for independent and group work:
  • Label slides with a number/letter system.
  • Have student groups focus on their assigned slides to track all participation in real time.

This is only the beginning. As we all continue to navigate COVID-19 learning new practices, technologies and techniques more opportunities for help will become available. It is our goal to arm parents and teachers with the resources to take on tomorrow.

“My purpose on this earth is to bless people with my voice. I have made numerous people cry since I have birthed the ideas of performing for people virtually. People call me #SuDat which stands for Spiritual, Unique, Divine, Artist, Thankful. The purpose of my brand is to bring truth and life while also inspiring the ears of all of my listeners. My purpose is also to uplift, spread love and light, and be the essence of #SuDat.”

So, what’s your origin story? I am a singer-songwriter from Uptown Philadelphia (West Oak Lane) to be exact. I was 5 years young when my mother had me in the church choir at Second Macedonia Baptist Church. I didn’t realize I could sing until I was about 10 years old during an after-school program play where I sang Joyful Joyful by Lauryn Hill from Sister Act. She later had me audition for The City of Philadelphia’s Young Performance Theater Camp and that’s where my skills were really developed.

Given that we’re under quarantine, how has COVID-19 affected you?Well, I immediately packed up my bags and left New York as soon as I got word that the city would be shutting down. I came back home to Philadelphia so I could be with my family. This has been a blessing for me because this is the longest we’ve all been in the house together. I like that this is allowing us to bond. I of course no longer have the ability to perform at large events which is how I made the bulk of my money. This has definitely reminded me of the importance of having multiple streams of income and to not have all of my eggs in one basket.

How would you describe the feeling(s) you have being under quarantine? I feel good. I feel more aware of the reality of the world we live in. I am grateful for the time I’ve had to reflect and catch up with friends and I am enjoying going down the rabbit hole on things that are happening in the world behind the scenes. It’s like I’m in the Wizard of Oz and I’m being revealed about the man behind the curtain. 

What’s your most memorable experience of the shutdown so far? Being successful at planning a surprise caravan with my family for my grandparents 65th anniversary where we brought out Fox News and they did a beautiful story on them. Also starting my first garden.

What are you doing with your Quarantine time? I am planning to protect myself and my family, I am gardening and growing food, I am educating my network about the importance of Financial education and I am working my new Virtual business.

Quarantine has turned many people inward to bridge gaps created by COVID-19. How is your brand adapting to the times? I recently started a virtual business where I sing Happy Birthday via Zoom, 3-way calls or on voice mails. I also received a nice portion of bookings for Mother’s day where I created customized greetings and sang a medley of songs that were sent through a private video link or I sang in a  live Zoom full of families and women.

What do have cooked up for 2020? I have a few videos and projects in the works. I am dropping a project with DDot Angelettie called “Vibrate High” which has a very retro Philly sound. I also have some work that I’ve created during Quarantine. I’m working on developing a branch of my FLY Star program held under my non-profit SCH Creative & Performing Arts, for aspiring artists. I have learned a lot as an independent, self-managed artist over the years and I would like to shorten the learning curve for up and coming artists so they are well aware about what it truly takes to be successful in this business. 

One of the many things I admire about you is your hair. Do you have any music or hair tips for people during this time? Music tips would be to pay attention to what you are listening to. Make sure the lyrics are good for you because this isn’t the time to fill your brain with things that do not benefit you. Listen to 432 htz at night while sleeping and let your true hair be. You may actually grow to  like it. 

Any last words or shout outs to your fans and support people? I am truly grateful for all of my fans and supporters. Thank you so much for inspiring me to keep doing what I love to do and there will be more music soon.

To stay up to date with Suzann Christine, please follow her on social media and visit her website for more information.