There has been a rapid expansion in the provision of further education in recent
years, which has brought with it the need to provide more flexible methods of
teaching in order to satisfy the requirements of an increasingly more diverse
type of student. In this respect, the open learning approach has proved to be a
valuable and effective teaching method, in particular for those students who for
a variety of reasons cannot pursue full-time traditional courses. As a result, John
Wiley & Sons, Ltd first published the Analytical Chemistry by Open Learning
(ACOL) series of textbooks in the late 1980s. This series, which covers all of
the major analytical techniques, rapidly established itself as a valuable teaching
resource, providing a convenient and flexible means of studying for those people
who, on account of their individual circumstances, were not able to take advantage
of more conventional methods of education in this particular subject area