Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need to get started?

A: AssessLink is primarily a software company, so you will need a computer (click for specifications), a Microsoft Kinect v2, and an Kinect v2 Adapter.  The software cannot run off a webcam or traditional video camera.  The Kinect has the capacity to detect body joint movement in 3D space.  Once you have the computer and hardware you need the AssessLinkPE app and you start testing students in minutes.

How is this different than Coach's Eye, or Hudl Technique?

A: Mobile apps like these revolutionized the way coaches and teachers could evalute student movement.  But two MAJOR obstacle remained: bias and time.  With traditional video recording, the teacher has to subjectively decide when and how to determine whether the student or athlete has done the skill correctly.  And with all video recordings, the teacher still has go back and spend countless hours scoring students and recording their results.  The AssessLinkPE app instantly scores the student and stores the information as soon as the user hits the stop recording button.  That allows them to move on to assessing the next student and improving their instruction.  This is a first in physical education assessment and movement evaluation.

You site says the app is for K-5, so I cannot use it with Middle School/High School students?

A: You can certainly use this application with secondary students.  We are promoting the app for K-5 because most of the skills are considered Fundamental Motor Skills and secondary students should have those already mastered.  Also the faster a student moves, the lower the accuracy of the sensor since captures data at 30 frames per second.  So skills like Volleyball Forearm Pass, Vertical Jump and Land, Soccer Kick, Overhand Throw, and Tennis Forehand could all be used with secondary students, but the highest skilled students may be difficult to test.  Lower skilled secondary students should have not problems.  

Is there training and support for teachers?

A: We offer free webinar and e-training for all school districts that adopt the AssessLinkPE app.  The user experience is designed to be very simple, and we hope through exploring our video demos online teachers can feel very comfortable experimenting with the software.  Any district interested in doing an in-person training simply needs to contact us and we can arrange something.  

Where will my testing data be stored?

A: Currently we do not offer a cloud service for storing your assessment results, your data will be stored in your local computer and is exportable to any other service or site (ie: Google drive, Dropbox, etc.).  We believe that you own your data and we should not hold it hostage in return for payment.  As part of our training offerings, we will show you how to extract and aggregate your data to keep it secure and use it for enhancing your instruction.

Is this meant to be formative or summative?

A: Both.  The results of the AssessLinkPE assessments can be used however the teacher or district would like to use the data.  Often teachers use skill tests for beginning and end of units to check for learning (formative), and others use this information to track student growth throughout the K-12 physical education experience (summative).  Like all motor skill testing, we do NOT recommend using the AssessLinkPE app for grading purposes.  The information is intended to drive instruction and identify student deficits. 

How many students can be tested at one time?

A: Currently only one student can be tested at one time.  We plan to provide an add-on feature for some of our skills that allow more than one student to be tested simultaneously.  All current license holders and customers prior to this feature would get this upgraded feature automatically.  The nature of motor skill testing is intended to be in a closed environment.  The technology to be able to watch a game, for example, and extrapolate individual skill effectiveness from different players and assess their individual proficiency is both expensive and impractical.  We aim to give teachers the tools to identify and monitor student learning.  The AssessLinkPE app is the most advanced and objective method of assessing student learning in the history of physical education.