I love forums too!

I agree that forums are a great way of tapping into the potential of a community of learners who can, in so many ways, run on its own. I noticed, in the forum we started in ESL Computer Applications class, that when one person asked a question about a certain topic, and another person answered, there were other students who posted saying that they used the tips suggested or appreciated having the help that was provided. In other words, it is so much more effective to have students help each other and consult past questions and posts because it avoids the inefficiency of several people asking the teacher the same question, over and over. Also, education is becoming increasingly student-centered and rests on the idea of giving students the tools to build their own framework of learning. Forums fit right in with that philosophy.