The Active Learning site of the Analytical Sciences Digital Library (ASDL) had its genesis in the mid-1990s when Ted Kuwana of the University of Kansas became concerned about the quality of instruction in analytical chemistry courses. One reason for his concern arose from industrial analytical chemists reporting that many of their new hires did not have the skills most valued in industry. A special grant funded jointly by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry and Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) (Award 9615091) supported a two-part workshop to examine the undergraduate analytical sciences curriculum and provide recommendations and implementation modes for improvements in the education and training of future analytical scientists. A report published in 1997 titled Curricular Developments in the Analytical Sciences, summarized the outcomes of the workshops. The primary recommendation, especially encouraged by industrial participants, was that the undergraduate analytical chemistry curriculum needed to engage students in problem-based experiences in the classroom and laboratory portion of courses.
After publication of the report, Ted recognized that systematic efforts were needed to promote its recommendations. One outcome of these efforts involved a collaboration between Ted and Cindy Larive, a faculty member at the University of Kansas who is currently Chancellor at the University of California Santa Cruz, to create ASDL. Established in 2002, ASDL was initially supported through grants from the NSF national digital library initiative (Awards 0121518, 0531941 and 0435422).
After publication of the report, Ted recognized that systematic efforts were needed to promote its recommendations. One outcome of these efforts involved a collaboration between Ted and Cindy Larive, a faculty member at the University of Kansas who is currently Chancellor at the University of California Santa Cruz, to create ASDL. Established in 2002, ASDL was initially supported through grants from the NSF national digital library initiative (Awards 0121518, 0531941 and 0435422).
In response to a dearth of active learning materials that limited the number of people adopting the methodologies recommended in the 1997 report, Cindy and Ted recognized the need to develop an Active Learning section on ASDL. Initially supported through the last of the national digital library awards, Cindy and Tom Wenzel of Bates College expanded the effort through a collaborative grant from the NSF DUE (Awards 0817595 and 0816649). A subsequent grant to Tom Wenzel from DUE enabled a continuation of efforts to develop active learning materials (Award 118600).
