The Internet and online tools have become incredibly ingrained in daily life. Checking email, tracking packages, networking with friends and co-workers, and getting an education can all be done quickly and easily online. Although these types of tools are important in daily life, it is essential to carefully consider how they might be integrated into higher education. A two-pronged research program focused on evaluating teaching horticulture courses online and looked at incorporating a web-based teaching tool that centered on problem-solving, into a traditional face-to-face course. The results of this research have the potential to impact future online course development and to encourage further development and adoption of web-based tools to support problem-based learning within the Department of Horticulture and in other departments at Iowa State University.