Podcast: The IDEMS Podcast

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…