Forum:Functional Programming Examples for Students

Question

[mcc]

Greetings all,

I need to teach basic computer skills to undergrad and graduate biology/chemistry students. I would like to teach the concepts of functional programming and object oriented programming (OOP) to students with minimal or no computer programming backgrounds using R and Python.

I would like to use the example of the Morse code translator for functional programming BUT using some concepts from the bioinformatics world that would lend itself easily. ...Looking for useful ideas... Anyone have any biologically related ideas?

As for OOP, I would like some ideas for that topic if anyone has some appropriate ones.

Any suggestions would be appreciated,

Answer 1

[Benn]

I would keep it simple, like calculating leap years or so.

[mcc]

I agree, K.I.S.S. (keep it simple...)

Answer 2

[William]

Maybe you could use the bio-inf programming puzzles provided by rosolind?

http://rosalind.info/problems/list-view/

It's a list of bio-info related programming puzzles. From very simple, Counting DNA Nucleotides , to very complex Semiglobal Alignment .

[mcc]

Yes, I am considering using some of the examples from Rosalind. Are there any examples that you are especially fond of?