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PODCAST

The IDEMS Podcast

IDEMS International

Stories from a social enterprise that uses mathematical sciences in impact-oriented work around the world. Our experiences range from helping some of the world"s poorest farmers get value from data, to enabling academics to use AI responsibly in their teaching. We never know what our next task will be but the last 6 years have shown that it is likely to lead to a story.

science mathematics

All Episodes

23:20

302 – The Journey to Our First Patent

The IDEMS Podcast ·

2026/10/02

George and David reflect on the journey behind IDEMS’ first patent, from recognising the potential of their ideas to navigating the challenges of turning them into a patent application. They discuss how the process helped them identify and refine what was genuinely innovative, the value of working with patent attorneys, and what they learned about the differences between academic research and protecting an invention.

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34:43

300 – Our First Patent and the Future of Adaptable...

The IDEMS Podcast ·

2026/09/24

For the 300th episode of the IDEMS Podcast, David and Kate discuss IDEMS’ first patent and the ideas behind it. They explore how rethinking some of the foundations of how technology is built could make it easier to reuse and adapt across different contexts, and how AI is creating new possibilities for technology that can respond to the needs and decisions of the people using it.

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37:19

299 – Fund IDEMS, Help Build an Alternative Digital...

The IDEMS Podcast ·

2026/09/22

David and Kate make the case for funding IDEMS as it takes its technology and innovation to the next stage. They explain why building a different digital future requires alternatives to conventional models of technology and investment, and invite people to help fund an approach that puts social impact, distributed ownership and long-term mission at its heart.

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15:20

297 – Seeing Africa at Its True Size

The IDEMS Podcast ·

2026/09/15

Lily and David reflect on a new world map that reveals just how much larger Africa is than conventional maps make it appear. They explore why familiar maps distort the size of countries and continents, the mathematics behind different map projections, and why representing Africa at its true scale matters for how we see and understand the continent.

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13:56

293 – The Problem of Zeros in Data

The IDEMS Podcast ·

2026/09/01

Continuing their reflections on 20 years of research methods support, Lily and Roger explore the often-overlooked problem of zeros in real data. Through examples from agricultural research, they discuss why understanding what zeros represent can change how data is summarised and reveal important patterns that might otherwise be missed.

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22:51

292 – Integrating STACK Assessment into Open...

The IDEMS Podcast ·

2026/08/28

Santiago and David discuss recent progress towards integrating STACK assessment into IDEMS’ open statistics textbooks. They explore how AI is helping match existing questions to textbook content, the work involved in adapting and improving those questions, and how richer forms of assessment can help students develop a deeper understanding of statistical concepts.

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20:07

289 – The Story Behind Explore, Describe, Present

The IDEMS Podcast ·

2026/08/18

David and Lily reflect on how the Explore, Describe, Present framing emerged through years of research methods support with the West African Community of Practice. They discuss how long-term collaboration helped develop a simple language for thinking about the different roles of data visualisation, including the importance of understanding your audience when presenting results.

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24:58

288 – Putting Our Open Textbook Vision to the Test –...

The IDEMS Podcast ·

2026/08/14

Following the first STACK Conference to be held in Africa, David and Kate reflect on what the event revealed about IDEMS’ vision for open textbooks. They discuss growing interest in adapting the approach across different African contexts, and explore the importance of local ownership, collaboration, and working with existing education systems to bring open resources to scale. They also consider how bringing together experiences from high- and low-resource settings can spark new ideas and create

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25:37

287 – Putting Our Open Textbook Vision to the Test –...

The IDEMS Podcast ·

2026/08/11

Following the International Conference on Teaching Statistics (ICOTS), David and Kate reflect on how IDEMS’ vision for open textbooks was received by the statistics education community. They explore how rapid developments in AI are changing what students need to learn, and why adaptable resources, carefully designed assessment, and meaningful human decision-making are becoming increasingly important. They also discuss the encouraging response from textbook authors, educators, and international

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30:59

286 – Rethinking Mathematics Education in Kenya – An...

The IDEMS Podcast ·

2026/08/07

David and Mike reflect on a period of change and opportunity for mathematics education in Kenya. They discuss the upcoming launch of a new MSc in Mathematical Innovation, lessons from bringing open textbooks into classrooms, and the importance of putting teachers at the centre of educational innovation. Recorded just before the first STACK Conference to be held in Africa, their conversation also explores how bringing together local stakeholders and an international community could contribute to a

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26:59

285 – ICOTS 3 – Building Communities Around Open...

The IDEMS Podcast ·

2026/08/04

In the final episode of this three-part series reflecting on the International Conference on Teaching Statistics (ICOTS), David and Lily discuss the reception of IDEMS’ open textbook initiative within the statistics education community. They explore how new approaches to adaptation, accreditation, and collaboration could strengthen open educational resources, enabling communities to build on one another’s work while preserving the expertise and contributions of original authors.

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23:43

284 – ICOTS 2 – Statistics Education in the Age of AI

The IDEMS Podcast ·

2026/07/31

In the second of three episodes reflecting on the International Conference on Teaching Statistics (ICOTS), David and Lily discuss the growing influence of AI on statistics education. They reflect on how the community is responding to rapid technological change, and explore why educators should play an active role in shaping AI tools that support responsible, accessible, and equitable learning.

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23:54

283 – ICOTS 1 – The Statistics Education Community

The IDEMS Podcast ·

2026/07/28

In the first of three episodes reflecting on the International Conference on Teaching Statistics (ICOTS), David and Lily discuss the statistics education community itself. They explore why data literacy deserves to be recognised as a distinct educational priority, reflect on the longstanding relationship between statistics and mathematics, and consider why so many well-established ideas from statistics education research have yet to achieve broader impact.

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23:58

282 – The Farm Hack Box and New Possibilities

The IDEMS Podcast ·

2026/07/24

David and Kate discuss the Farm Hack Box and the new possibilities it suggests for community-owned digital infrastructure. While conceived for farming communities, they explore how the same ideas could reshape education and other social impact contexts, enabling local AI, greater digital sovereignty, and technologies that communities can truly own and adapt.

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18:58

281 – Rethinking Digital Sovereignty for Communities

The IDEMS Podcast ·

2026/07/21

David and Kate examine the idea of digital sovereignty through the lens of communities rather than nation states. Reflecting on recent discussions around AI governance and digital infrastructure, they explore why community ownership, local adaptation, and collaboration may be just as important as national strategies in shaping the future of technology.

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22:05

280 – Open App Builder, PLH and AI agents

The IDEMS Podcast ·

2026/07/17

David and Michele discuss how recent advances in AI are opening new possibilities for the Open App Builder and the authoring of digital tools for social impact. Drawing on IDEMS’ work with Parenting for Lifelong Health, they explore how AI agents can help reduce barriers to authoring while keeping people in control of the decisions that matter, enabling more adaptable and community-owned digital technologies.

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24:59

279 – AI agents and STACK Authoring

The IDEMS Podcast ·

2026/07/14

David and Michele discuss how advances in AI are opening new possibilities for STACK question authoring. Using this practical example, they reflect on the design of multi-agent systems, the role of specialised models, and why building efficient, interoperable AI tools may be just as important as building ever more powerful ones.

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19:20

278 – Reflections from the Global Smart Farming...

The IDEMS Podcast ·

2026/07/10

Following David’s participation in the Global Smart Farming Conference hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), he and Santiago reflect on some of the key themes and debates that emerged. Their discussion explores competing visions of smart farming, the role of AI and digital technologies in agriculture, and the importance of ensuring that innovation remains centred on farmers and the communities they serve.

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25:03

277 – Reflections from the AI and Food Security Forum

The IDEMS Podcast ·

2026/07/07

Following David’s participation in a World Food Programme forum on artificial intelligence, digitisation, data governance, and food security, he and Santiago reflect on some of the key themes and debates that emerged. Their discussion explores the opportunities and risks AI presents for food systems, and the role of governance, local knowledge, and technological alternatives in shaping more equitable and sustainable futures.

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18:17

276 – The Agency Fund’s Social Sector Tech Stack: The...

The IDEMS Podcast ·

2026/07/03

Continuing their discussion of The Agency Fund’s proposed technology stack for the social sector, David and Santiago explore the three frontend approaches outlined in the article: frontline worker tools, chatbots, and custom applications. Drawing on their own experience developing digital tools for social impact, they reflect on the strengths, limitations, and future potential of each approach.https://theagencyfund.substack.com/p/a-default-tech-stack-for-the-social

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167 results

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