Peer reviewing the assistive technology application
Learn about peer review, the process of subjecting an assessor’s work to the scrutiny of another.
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Inform
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When applying for assistive technology, it is always best practice to undertake a peer review. In some circumstances, a peer review is required.
- When is peer reviewing an assistive technology application appropriate?
- What is the role of a peer reviewer?
- Who can peer review an AT application?
- More information
When is peer reviewing an assistive technology application appropriate?
It is always good practice to have an assistive technology application peer reviewed.
For the purposes of the assistive technology assessment, the assessor is understood to be the person who has taken the lead role in the completing the assistive technology assessment and application form.
The purpose of the peer review is to enhance the quality and consistency of the applications and to ensure that the proposed assistive technology solution is an appropriate match for the student’s needs and learning goals in their school setting.
Conditions
| If... | Then... |
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| 1. The application is for items over $5,000. | The application MUST be peer-reviewed. |
| 2. The application is one of the first two completed by an assessor. | The application MUST be peer-reviewed. |
| 3. The application is not 1 or 2 above. | The peer review is OPTIONAL. |
What is the role of a peer reviewer?
The role of a peer reviewer is to review the completed assistive technology application prior to submission for moderation. They:
- check that the application is technically sound
- check that the application conveys an agreed assessment process developed by the student's learning support team
- provide suggestions for change, where required, that are constructive and encourage further clarity in the assistive technology application before the final presentation.
Who can peer review an AT application?
- A person who is appropriately qualified and has particular knowledge of the assistive technology devices requested in the Ministry of Education assistive technology (AT) application form.
- A neutral person who is not currently working with the nominated student but is familiar with the assistive technology assessment process and has completed more than two AT applications themselves.
There will be times when the peer reviewer is in a different office, school, or region to the assessor. For complex and very expensive technology applications, a request may be made for the application to be reviewed by a learning support specialist in a different education region.
In cases where there is no-one suitable to peer review an application, the assessor can request the application be peer reviewed by the local assistive technology coordinator.
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