Episodes
291
Latest episode
Aug 2026
Language
EN-GB
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.
Following their reflections on climate data rescue, James and David explore how the challenges of making rescued data genuinely usable are playing out in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Through their experiences working with meteorological services in both countries, they discuss the work needed to improve data quality, bring valuable historical records back into use, and build sustainable processes for keeping them usable over time.
James and David reflect on their experiences supporting climate data rescue across several countries. They discuss why preserving historical climate records is increasingly important for understanding a changing climate, and why rescuing data is only truly valuable when it can be put to use, exploring what it takes to bridge the gap between data rescue and real-world applications.
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.
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.
Continuing their reflections on 20 years of research methods support, David and Lily explore multilevel data through examples from agricultural research in West Africa. They discuss how identifying the right levels can help account for variability and reveal important differences that might otherwise be missed.
Continuing their reflections on 20 years of research methods support, David and Lily explore statistical interactions through a striking example from agricultural research in West Africa. They discuss how interactions can reveal the importance of context, and how understanding local practices can challenge research assumptions and lead to more relevant research.
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.
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 opportunities for innovation that flow in both directions.
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 organisations, and what this could mean for building a wider community around the open textbook initiative.
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 more relevant, accessible, and locally grounded approach to mathematics education.
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