Evolution of horticultural education in the early 21st century

Any consideration of the evolution of horticultural education must acknowledge the central and pivotal role played by the development of the World Wide Web. Teaching and training proceeded for centuries in its absence, but the rapid growth of the Web and the enhancements it enabled for the educational environment changed forever the fundamental nature of what is taught, when it is taught, how it is taught, and to whom it is taught. Traditional educational institutions are investing significant financial and personnel resources in the process of course and degree conversion for online delivery. The growth rate of private sector "learning organizations" is unprecedented, but to date few of these firms have addressed the needs of the field of horticulture. A fundamental restructuring of the educational infrastructure has not yet happened, but can the system designed to educate the student of the 20th Century change quickly enough to meet the needs of the 21st Century student?.