Demystifying Functional Programming - What It Means for Learning and Teaching

Explore functional programming concepts and effective teaching strategies in this comprehensive conference talk from YOW! 2018. Delve into the misconceptions surrounding functional programming's complexity and learn how to approach it in an accessible manner. Discover techniques for introducing functional concepts through concrete examples, emphasizing the 'why' before the 'how', and drawing parallels with imperative programming paradigms. Gain insights into the benefits of live programming environments for learning and experimentation. Drawing from a decade of teaching experience at UNSW, uncover practical approaches to make functional programming more approachable for beginners and experienced developers alike. Examine the use of functors, monads, and higher-order functions in solving real-world programming challenges without relying on abstract mathematical theories.