In May 2021 the consent process for QuickSmart Research participation was simplified so that it was no longer necessary for schools to collect program consent and assent forms for QuickSmart or QuickSmart Comparison students. (Original blog post: https://blog.une.edu.au/quicksmart-dashboard/simplified-quicksmart-research-participation-consent-process/)

These permissions could now be included in general communication from the school; consent is now presumed, and students need to “opt out” rather than “opt in”.

Following requests from schools and further discussions with the University’s Ethics Department, the consent information sheets have now been updated in the QuickSmart Portal. There are two documents available which cover QuickSmart Numeracy, Literacy, Catch-Up Numeracy and the Diagnostic Assessment:

1. Information sheet for evaluation participants: this is the same document schools have used since 2016.
2. Information to Parents/Care-givers Regarding QuickSmart in Schools Research Project: this document is new and can be used as by schools as an information sheet to send out with other general school information.

To access and download these documents, please log into the QuickSmart Portal and click on “QuickSmart Numeracy/Literacy” underneath “Research Consent Forms” on the left-hand side menu.

For SA schools taking part in the QuickSmart Online trial, there is a separate link for this in the “Research Consent Forms” section, but the new form there is the same as the one mentioned above.

Please note that the “Providing Research Consent for QuickSmart” sections of the Numeracy and Literacy Resources pages in the Portal have also been updated with new information.

As always, please use quicksmart@une.edu.au / 02 6773 5067 for any administration correspondence, or quicksmarthelp@une.edu.au / 02 6773 5061 for IT Support.