Forum
Forums are a simple yet very powerful communication tool within a Moodle course. Think of them as online message boards where course participants can exchange ideas by posting comments while easily keeping track and history of individual conversations.
Because forums in Moodle are asynchronous (unlike instant messaging, chat or face-to-face conversation) they can extend over long periods. People can take their time drafting posts and replies until they are happy with the results. Many people can benefit from using Forum: reflective writers, people separated by distance or time, those shy of speaking in public, second language learners, people with communicative disabilities and many others. This can contribute significantly to successful communication and community building in an online environment.
The asynchronous nature of the forums creates many opportunities not only to replicate the conversations you have in person, but also to create entirely new activities that are difficult in a classroom or a similar face-to-face setting.
Forum posts in Moodle can also be rated and graded.
