The IDEMS Podcast

At the 100th episode milestone, directors David Stern, Kate Fleming, and Danny Parsons meet to celebrate their journey and discuss the evolution of The IDEMS Podcast.

Do you feel like using generative AI is affecting your cognitive abilities? In this episode, Lily expresses that she believes that using such tools for some tasks has had a negative impact on her ability to perform those tasks herself. David has an interesting perspective on why this needn’t necessarily be seen as a problem – at least not a new one. Lily’s closing thoughts: “As we wrap up, I think it's clear that generative AI, like many advancements before it, may shift the way we think and operate. However, the key point is that we have choices: Technology doesn’t strip us of our abilities unless we allow it to. We can choose how to engage with these tools in ways that preserve or even enhance our skills. It's about finding the balance: embracing what's new, while staying mindful of the skills we value. Thank you for joining David, and we look forward to continuing these conversations.”

In this episode, David and Abib discuss their decade-long friendship and Abib’s journey from being part of the inaugural cohort at AIMS Ghana to making impactful contributions in data analysis and university policies. Their conversation covers the evolution of AIMS programs, Abib’s diverse career across Africa, and a significant project showing sports admissions do not affect academic standards. They reflect on the role of sports in mental health, the maturity of Ghanaian institutions, the increasing relevance of mathematics and technology, and potential IDEMS collaborations.

The Agroecology (AE) Hub, a community of NGOs working with smallholder farmers in Kenya that IDEMS has been supporting for the last 5 years, is entering a new phase. David and Lucie review some of the outcomes of the AE Hub’s activities following a symposium that brought together all of the members to identify potential plans for the coming years.

In this follow-up episode, Lucie and David discuss data literacy from a more qualitative perspective, building on discussions between David and Lily in previous episodes. They explore themes like variability, uncertainty, and the value of different data types, highlighting the deep analysis of specific contexts versus the current rich data world. The conversation imagines a future where data literacy is as integral to society as traditional literacy.

In this episode David and Kate discuss the difficulties they faced telling the IDEMS Story and how Kate has helped in doing so. They discuss the challenges of telling any story of tech interventions for social issues, touching on the objective of not doing harm and producing impactful, thoughtful interventions. They consider the complexities within IDEMS and how its diverse projects converge through commonalities, and different mechanisms explored, including The IDEMS Podcast.

Lily and David consider the complex and often contentious topic of whether data and statistics can be considered a subset of mathematics. David proposes the radical idea that the current mathematics curriculum, heavily centred on calculation, should pivot to emphasise data interpretation, advocating for a future where data literacy is foundational in education.

David discusses his experiences of working in communities of practice. With Lucie, they discuss what brings a community together, and how it can be maintained. The discussion covers communities such as mathematics educators, agroecology researchers, and IDEMS.

Continuing their ongoing discussions on data, Lily and David consider data literacy, its importance, and the different skills required to interpret and work with data effectively. They explore the challenges of demystifying data science when teaching it to non-specialists. They consider the example of New Zealand's innovative approach to embedding data literacy in school curriculums.

David Stern introduces Dr. James Kaleli Musyoka, a Postdoctoral Impact Activation Fellow at IDEMS from Kenya, now based in Finland. They reminisce about their first meeting in 2008 at Maseno University, where David's involvement transformed James' experience with applied statistics. They discuss James' decision to pursue a local PhD, his teaching innovations, and his current work supporting African met services with historical climatic data analyses to improve forecasts for agriculture.

David is joined by George Simmons, an impact activation postdoctoral fellow at IDEMS. In collaboration with CASAS Global, George has spent a year working on their Physiologically Based Demographic Modelling (PBDM) system, a style of modelling used to account for the ecosystem level dynamics that happen in a farm field. They elaborate on the project's integration with more modern mathematical techniques, the influence of the TOPOS Institute’s collaborative approach, and the broader implications of the work.

David and Kate discuss David's recent trip to Kuwait, focusing on the development of digital technologies for the Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH) programme. They explore the contrasts and similarities between high-resource environments like Kuwait and low-resource contexts where PLH typically operates. The conversation highlights the integration of app technologies in Kuwait's Ministry of Health initiatives, cultural tolerance, women's empowerment, and the unique challenges and opportunities of adapting tech-based parenting support systems across different socio-economic landscapes.

As Santiago prepares to return to teaching, he and David discuss the evolving role of technology in shaping the future of education. They consider the integration of educational technologies for formative assessment, such as STACK, in secondary maths education, focusing on personalised feedback and the challenges of balancing varied student abilities. They also explore the potential of AI in the classroom, the implications of integrating AI in the context of centralised exams, and the role of innovative teaching methods that could lead to higher order skills, aligned with Bloom’s Taxonomy.

AI chatbots are seemingly everywhere right now, but are they safe and reliable? In this episode, Lily and David compare traditional deterministic chatbots and modern AI-based chatbots. They explore the limitations and frustrations of traditional chatbots, like those used in online banking and other services, and highlight the potential of generative AI technologies, like ChatGPT, to enhance the user experience. They discuss how AI could be used responsibly to improve deterministic chatbots by making them more comprehensive and interactive while maintaining their reliability.

Lily and David discuss the evolution of R-Instat, an open-source front-end statistical software for R. They explore the development of the back-end calculation system, which aims to simplify complex data analysis and enhance reproducible research. David explains how R-Instat addresses the challenges of multi-level data and automates calculations, making it accessible to users who may not have coding expertise.

Lucie and David discuss what IDEMS’ “service mentality” is and how it differs from providing services. They explore what this means for the company, in its external partnerships and its internal management.

The idea of “Community Tech” is central to many of IDEMS’ initiatives, and in this episode Lucie and Kate explore its meaning. They contrast the exciting possibilities of developing community tech with the challenges of effectively managing the communities and technologies involved.

Lucie and David reflect on the last 2 years of the organisation mentoring scheme and how it might continue to evolve to suit the needs and interests of employees. The scheme is shared between the 3 sister companies: IDEMS, INNODEMS and most recently, GHAIDEMS, and brings together colleagues from different continents and countries to support personal development and growth.

IDEMS creates internships and workshops with a flexibility that is unusual. Lucie and David discuss this collaborative approach which aims to respond to and provide opportunities to participants. For example, by splitting a group of interns into two teams with different start dates, according to their experience levels. This approach presents opportunities and risks.

In this episode, Santiago invites David to reflect on the Second African STACK conference, held from 12th to 16th August 2024 at the Technical University of Kenya. They discuss how the event went, some outcomes, learnings and challenges that were highlighted, such as sustainability, and describe the growth of the African STACK Community. A general explanation of STACK can be found in episode 057 of this podcast.

Franca Hoffmann is an Assistant Professor in Computing and Mathematical Sciences at Caltech and International Scientific Advisor at Quantum Leap Africa, at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS). In this episode, David Stern talks to Franca about their recent experiences in Kenya, including a workshop in Kisumu organized by the American Institute of Mathematics and the African STACK Conference in Nairobi. Franca recounts her journey from participating in Maths Camps in Africa to playing a significant role in math education initiatives across the continent.

In August 2024, the American Institute of Mathematics (AIM) organised a workshop in Kenya, bringing together participants from various countries to explore the use of open-source tools like STACK and WebWork in mathematics education. Santiago and David reflect on how the event facilitated meaningful collaborations between African and international educators, offering insights into the unique challenges and opportunities within low-resource environments. The workshop highlighted the importance of layered ownership of educational resources and the potential for cross-contextual learning, with participants from high-resource settings gaining valuable perspectives from their African counterparts.

IDEMS is guided by its principle ‘Open by Default’, a well-developed concept in technology and software fields, but less developed in research, science and data. David and Lucie explore the differences between open science and open data, and question whether or how open science might create inequalities.

In this episode, we explore the future of AI in education through a discussion with Lily and David, focusing on the potential and limitations of AI technologies. They break down the future into four key categories: tasks that AI will never achieve perfectly, tasks that are a matter of "when" not "if", transformative innovations on the horizon, and areas with substantial unknowns. The conversation includes examples like the challenges of AI detecting AI-generated content, the potential of AI-based personal tutors, and the complexities of maintaining historical accuracy while promoting diversity. This is the fifth episode in the Responsible AI for Lecturers (RAILect) series on the IDEMS podcast.

How do you build data systems for contexts where there is low digital literacy? As part of IDEMS’ support for Manor House Agricultural Centre in Kenya, we’re looking to create digital systems which can help them manage the complex farm and training centre. David and Lucie discuss the origins of this idea, the practical implications, and the opportunities.

In this episode, we dive into how AI can revolutionise education by shifting the focus from traditional methods to fostering critical thinking skills. Lily and David discuss the importance of adapting questions in a way that leverages AI capabilities, ensuring students develop deeper analytical skills and greater ownership of their work. They explore various case studies and examples of AI applications in education, highlighting the potential of AI to enhance human intelligence and creativity. This is the fourth episode out of five of the Responsible AI for Lecturers (RAILect) series on the IDEMS podcast.

In this episode, we are pleased to introduce guest speaker Helen Crompton, who shares her research and teaching experiences focused on AI in education. Helen and David suggest productive ways that lecturers and students can engage with AI to support and enhance their skills and teaching effectiveness.

In this episode, Lily and David discuss the current state of education, and the potentials that AI creates for the future. They look at what it means to treat AI as a friend for lecturers, and then what it means to treat it as a foe, using case studies. They then question how lecturers can productively approach teaching given the current AI context. Note that this podcast is also the third episode of our five-part series on Responsible AI for Lecturers (RAILect).

In this episode, Lily and David aim to demystify data science across various disciplines. They use the Post Office to illustrate the power of AI systems, and then look at other case studies to highlight some limitations of AI systems. This episode is part of the series aimed at Responsible AI for Lecturers, but is still relevant for those not following the course.

R-Instat is a free open-source statistics package. In this episode, Lily and David introduce R-Instat and discuss the motivations for creating it, based upon the need for a user-friendly, comprehensive tool for low-resource environments that can handle multilevel data efficiently. They consider its broader implications for data literacy and statistical education, emphasising the ongoing ambition to make complex analyses more accessible and intuitive.

Santiago and David continue their discussion on the intersection of gaming and advertising, exploring innovative business models that prioritize social impact and inclusivity over traditional revenue streams. They consider the concept of providing digital services related to games that are accessible to all, including those who cannot afford to pay, aiming to develop a system where educational and socially beneficial services can sustain themselves financially while remaining open and accessible.

Santiago and David discuss the conventional business models in the gaming industry, which rely on advertising or paywalls. Motivated by the potential educational value of games, they envision an innovative business model that prioritises social impact over revenue.

Does anyone? Directors David Stern and Kate Fleming discuss the inherent uncertainties faced by early-stage companies and the broader world. The conversation explores how social enterprises must balance impact with profitability, the challenges of sustainable tech development, and the need for innovative business models that serve society, emphasising the importance of deep observation and scientific thinking. They highlight their unique approach at IDEMS, stressing the vital role of building sustainability from the start while ambitiously scaling for social impact.

Lily and David discuss the importance of working with multi-level data. The conversation highlights the need for integrating the concept of multi-level data into data literacy education, from basic to advanced levels, to help people better analyze and interpret complex data sets. They also touch on the practical implications of ignoring multi-level data, such as in the 2020 UK examination algorithm controversy, and consider the relevance to AI.

David Stern interviews Polly Noyce about the history and impact of Manor House, a Kenyan institution focused on teaching sustainable agriculture to smallholder farmers. Polly shares her experiences starting the project in the 1980s and the transformations it has undergone over the past 40 years. They discuss the importance of agroecology and how contemporary technologies and approaches have influenced rural farming.

Can AI-generated information be trusted? In this episode, Lily and David dive into the issue of AI-generated “hallucitations”, where generative AI models like ChatGPT provide ostensible citations referring to sources that do not exist. They discuss the implications of such misinformation, including defamation cases. They emphasize the importance of responsible AI systems and the challenges of funding and prioritizing research to ensure accuracy and reliability in AI outputs.

In episode “061 – Simplicity versus Complexity”, David claimed that if a problem is solvable by throwing money at it then it is not inherently complex or “wicked”. In this episode, Santiago challenges this claim via the thought experiment from another episode, “031 – Who Wants to be a Trillionaire”. This prompts a discussion that spans topics including the sustainable development goals, the unintended consequences of market fluctuations, how progress can exacerbate inequalities, and the intricate nature of “wicked” problems.

David talks to Chris Sangwin, creator of STACK, the online assessment system designed to support the teaching of university level mathematics. They review what makes STACK so useful and how they are collaborating on a Knowledge Transfer Partnership program. STACK presents huge opportunities to improve mathematical education at scale and Chris and David discuss how a separate, human system of question authoring experts are needed to support this.

Open access software tools like ODK (Open Data Kit) have been a game changer in enabling access to digital data collection. Lucie and David discuss what makes ODK so interesting, and compare its development and use to that of R-Studio, another open access software that has made waves in data analysis. What will be the next step change in data collection? Does ODK’s impact represent an alternative model to that of “big bets” as the route to bring about large-scale change?

IDEMS works on complex, real world problems, but what does complexity mean? Lucie and David discuss the concepts of simplicity and complexity, with David suggesting that mathematics can be seen as a realm of simplicity compared to the complex real world. They touch on the dangers of oversimplifying problems and highlight how modern research tends to overvalue simplicity.

In this episode, Lily and David consider foundational data skills in data science education. They discuss Lily's recent teaching experience at the doctoral training school in Kigali, Rwanda, as part of the AIMS initiative. The conversation explores the significance of teaching basic yet essential data handling and analysis skills to data science students, emphasising how these foundational abilities are often overlooked in conventional education but are critical in the real-world application of data science and responsible AI.

How do you get a project off to a good start? In IDEMS’ Research Methods Support work for the Global Collaboration for Resilient Food Systems (CRFS) in West Africa, we facilitate Inception Meetings to support projects make the right decisions. David and Lucie reflect on 9 CRFS projects’ joint Inception Meetings held in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

We’re used to participatory research with farmers, but what does scalable participatory farmer-focused research look like? Lucie and David discuss this principled approach to agroecological research, which has the potential to not only create great benefits for researchers and farmers alike, but to also shake up research systems and power dynamics between researchers and the community.

Santiago Borio and David Stern discuss STACK, an open-source online assessment tool for mathematics and STEM subjects. They explore how STACK can provide scalable and effective feedback across diverse educational settings, emphasizing its success in universities with large class sizes and limited resources, particularly in Kenya and other similar environments. They reflect on the value of community in open source educational initiatives.

Lily Clements and David Stern discuss their recent collaboration with a PhD student on complex data modelling. They highlight the challenges of accurate statistical interpretation, the importance of responsible research practices, and the need for more accessible modelling tools. Their conversation underscores the significance of improving data skills to enhance the reliability of research and AI applications.

Santiago Borio and David Stern delve into the distinctions between scalability and sustainability within IDEMS’s internship models. They debate the potential for internships to drive significant societal and economic changes, particularly in rural African settings, by fostering economic growth through digital opportunities. The conversation also examines how these scalable initiatives could profoundly influence both local and global economies across various resource environments, presenting a unique model to create opportunities for future generations.

In this episode of the IDEMS podcast, Lily Clements and David Stern explore the intersection of technology and humanity through the lens of Amazon's AI-powered shops. They discuss the concept of "phygital" initiatives, such as the mobile phone-based money transfer service M-PESA, where physical and digital realms merge to create jobs and enhance human interactions. They consider the future role of AI, the importance of community, and the ethical considerations of outsourcing labour.

David Stern and Kate Fleming discuss how social enterprises can offer “investment as a service”. They consider how shifting priorities away from growth can lead to positive outcomes, fostering sustainable practices that prioritise social impact whilst delivering for investors.

In this episode, Santiago Borio and David Stern delve into the development and growth of the Maths Camps initiative. They discuss the unique non-curricular and game-based methods used at the camps to engage students, moving away from conventional competitive educational models. The conversation also addresses the challenges and triumphs in scaling the camps, as well as their significant impact on students and educators internationally. David wraps up by reflecting on how the project has shaped his understanding of brain circulation.

Lucie and David discuss IDEMS’ aims to create digital opportunities for young people in rural areas. By building technology differently, and supporting local development, David shares how he has seen young people not only empower themselves, but also strengthen their local community.