DoDays Support

Appearance

Understanding the I/D/M states ​

If you've chosen the IDM progress tracking mode, each goal moves through four states before it's done: Not Started, Introduced, Developing, Mastered. This article is a quick guide for teachers and coordinators on what each state means and when to apply it.

Why four states ​

A simple ticked / un-ticked model only captures the moment a skill is mastered. Most real learning doesn't happen like that - students spend most of their time in the middle, refining a skill they've already met. IDM gives you a way to record that middle ground, so progress feels honest rather than binary.

It also gives families a much better sense of where their child is. "Working on it" is more truthful - and more reassuring - than a goal that sits un-ticked for weeks before suddenly appearing as complete.

When to mark each state ​

Introduced ​

Mark a goal as Introduced the first time the student has been shown the skill and given a go at it. They might not be doing it well yet - that's expected - but they've encountered it, attempted it, and now know what it is.

A goal sitting at Not Started means the skill hasn't come up in sessions yet. Moving it to Introduced is the signal that "this is now in the mix for this student".

Developing ​

Mark a goal as Developing once the student has had at least one more attempt after the introduction and is starting to refine the key elements of the skill. They're showing improvement each time they try, but the skill isn't yet reliable.

Most students will spend the bulk of their time on a goal in this state. That's fine - it's where the learning happens.

Mastered ​

Mark a goal as Mastered once the student has attempted the skill multiple times and is showing competence across all the elements you'd expect. The skill is reliable and complete for the stage.

Once a goal is mastered, only coordinators and admins can revert it - see Recording goal progress for why.

A few things that tend to make IDM work well in practice:

  • Don't rush to Mastered. It's tempting to push goals forward to feel like progress is being made, but a goal that gets reverted later sends a confusing signal to the family. If in doubt, leave it at Developing for another session.
  • Move in one direction. Aside from the coordinator-led revert path, IDM is designed to move forward. Try not to flip between Introduced and Developing week to week - pick the state that best represents where the student is now.
  • Use it as a teaching prompt. A scan down a student's goals tells you at a glance what to focus on next session. A class full of Developing goals on the same skill is a strong hint that a group activity on it would be well-timed.

TIP

The four states each render in their own colour and letter - white (Not Started), blue I (Introduced), amber D (Developing), green M (Mastered) - so a teacher can read a student's progress at a glance without needing to click each goal.