Podcast: The IDEMS Podcast

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…