{"id":11743,"date":"2025-10-03T06:00:03","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T05:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bjsm\/?p=11743"},"modified":"2025-10-09T15:26:20","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T14:26:20","slug":"alfamov-a-game-changer-for-assessing-childrens-motor-competence-in-clinical-practice-and-physical-education-settings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bjsm\/2025\/10\/03\/alfamov-a-game-changer-for-assessing-childrens-motor-competence-in-clinical-practice-and-physical-education-settings\/","title":{"rendered":"Alfamov: a game-changer for assessing children’s motor competence in clinical practice and physical education settings."},"content":{"rendered":"

Name of the mobile application:<\/b> Alfamov<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Category of the mobile application:<\/b> Education\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Platform:<\/b> iOS (iPhone and iPad 11.0 & above), Android (versions 2.3.3 & above)<\/span><\/p>\n

Cost:<\/b> Free\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

About the App\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

How confident are you in accurately assessing a 7-year-old’s fundamental movement skills?<\/strong> Alfamov<\/span><\/i> is a digital application designed to assess and monitor primary schoolchildren\u2019s fundamental movement skills (FMS) competence (ages 6 to 12). <\/span>It was designed and developed through two national projects on motor competence and healthy lifestyles<\/span> [codes: RTI2018-096106-A-I00 and PID2021-128640OB-100], funded by FEDER\/Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovaci\u00f3n y Universidades – Agencia Estatal de Investigaci\u00f3n.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Alfamov<\/span><\/i> contains 22 FMS (10 locomotor, 7 object control and 5 stability skills)<\/strong> selected from four assessment tests (1-4). The app consists of:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. A didactic section<\/strong> that provides information about the FMS and explains their developmental significance [Figures 1 and 2]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. An assessment section<\/strong> for the systematic assessment of these FMS [Figure 3].<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Figure 1:<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Figure 2:<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Figure 3:<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    To facilitate the assessment, <\/span>Alfamov<\/span><\/i> provides a checklist of performance criteria<\/strong> for each skill to be scored by the assessors [Figure 3]. These performance criteria are scored \u20181\u2019 if they are met or \u20180\u2019 if they are not met. The sum of the performance criteria for each skill gives the score for each skill individually. In addition, <\/span>Alfamov<\/span><\/i> provides the subscale scores (locomotor, manipulative and stability) by summing the scores of the component skills and, finally, provides the overall motor competence score.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Information on post-assessment scores can be accessed through the profile created for each child [Figure 4], which also records anthropometric characteristics or other data of interest (e.g., hand or foot predominance), and can be used to view previous assessments and details of each assessment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Figure 4:<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Use in clinical practice<\/h3>\n

    This innovative application serves a dual purpose<\/strong> in the clinical setting. It provides physical educators with educational<\/strong> information to help accurately assess motor competence, and facilitates the assessment<\/strong> process. In addition, <\/span>Alfamov<\/span><\/i> has the potential to improve communication between key stakeholders involved in children’s motor competence development, from physical education teachers to paediatric healthcare professionals and families. By facilitating smooth communication and information sharing, the app creates a unified platform for these different stakeholders, enabling a comprehensive approach to interventions that enhance motor competence. The potential impact extends beyond the school, as efficient collaboration enables tailored interventions that can lead to improved outcomes in children’s overall motor development.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Alfamov<\/span><\/i> also offers value across different professional contexts<\/strong>. In clinical practice, it complements existing assessment protocols by providing a structured and accessible digital tool. For researchers, its standardised design facilitates consistent and comparable data collection. Within educational contexts, <\/span>Alfamov<\/span><\/i> can serve as an engaging resource to support the development of fundamental movement skills in children within school environments.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Pros:\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n