Dearborn Discovery Core Assessment

DDC Assessment 2.0 Cycle & Reporting Plans

The new DDC assessment cycle and reporting plans were developed and endorsed by the Assessment Subcommittee and the DDC Subcommittee during the DDC Evaluation process in the 2018-2019 academic year. The modifications to the first iteration of DDC assessments include improvement to the reporting process, more focused and integrated assessments, and a faster turnaround for use of data and improvement.

Assessment Cycle:

Assessment Cycle
Reporting for QTPS, SBA, NS, HA, and CCT: 
  • Higher enrolled courses (courses with a significant proportion of the total enrollment for the category) will be asked to use Canvas Outcomes to fulfill the DDC assessment requirements
  • All other courses in the category will be asked to submit a brief, reflection based narrative on the course and the learning outcomes. 

Instructors will be contacted individually to notify which reporting line they should follow. This two pronged approach allows for quantitative data to be collected across higher enrolled courses that impact the most students, while also collecting qualitative data in courses as well. 

Reporting for ULW, CAP, WC:

Upper Level Writing, Capstone, and Writing and Communication courses will be assessed in disciplines and integrated with Program Assessment within programs. These data will be collected through Program Assessment reports and included within DDC Assessment review sessions. 

Reviewing Data and DDC Sessions:

Members of the Assessment Subcommittee and faculty representatives from the categories being assessed will be a part of the review group. 

In the first cycle, DDC assessment data were not reviewed until the end of the cycle which made it difficult for faculty to discuss the data as it related to their experience in the course because too much time had passed. The new cycle includes DDC Sessions the year following collection. These sessions will allow instructors to come together to discuss student learning in their category and review the data collected in the prior year. We hope to provide support from the Hub for Teaching and Learning and/or external pedagogical support as a part of these conversations as well in the form of workshops or resources. 

Important Information about the DDC Assessment Procedures

  • If a course is approved for a category but is not offered in the assessment year for that category, it does not have to participate in the assessment reporting.
  • All instructors offering a DDC course in the category's assessment year are required to participate in assessment.
  • If an individual instructor offers more than one section of a DDC course in the category's assessment year, they are only required to assess one of the sections. However, we encourage instructors to assess all of their sections, especially if an instructor alters the course in different sections.
  • We encourage course instructors to conduct DDC assessment (data collection) outside of the assessment year window for the category, but it is not a requirement.
  • If a course counts for more than one category in a given reporting year window, DDC assessment must be conducted in both categories.​

DDC Assessment Frequently Asked Questions

Contact:

Contact:

Jessica LaGrange
Director of Academic Success
[email protected]