Discussion forums, message boards and bulletin boards are examples of asynchronous communication tools. Participants post messages to a permanent page where they are preserved for others to read and comment at their convenience.

Pros

• no scheduling is necessary
• conversations can be well articulated and detailed since time is not an issue
• conversations are structured so that topics are visually distinct

Cons

• large amounts of text are generated which can make grading for participation extremely time consuming (however strategies exist for minimizing instructor reading).

Notes
When replying to a post, it is a good practice to quote a small section of the original post so new readers can see what you are responding to. Most forums have threaded views to indicate the order of posts and responses.

Expect different levels of participation. If participation is not mandatory, a small vocal group may naturally emerge as discussion leaders and consistently contribute. A second small group may be moderately active, while the remaining students will participate less frequently. Encourage discussion by responding to posts in a timely manner to show that student comments are being read, but make sure your comments don't inhibit further student responses.