1) What role or purpose do discussion forums serve in the online classroom and are they effective? 
Discussion forums can be used to initiate project feedback, provide a place for students to ask questions

2) How do discussion forums function as a teaching tool? 
Discussion forums are a way for students to participate in class, interact with one another and become familiar with a new concept. Forums serve as a way of presenting and exploring ideas.

3) How could they be used effectively and ineffectively? 
Forums can be used effectively by the following:
Incorporating multimedia tools or graphics
Including multiple ways of presenting course material–verbal, text, and graphical forms
Provide opportunities for students to learn new vocabulary

Examples of forums used ineffectively:
Minimal participation from the instructor
Ineffective or dated material
Lack of variety of instructional material (i.e. all text and no multimedia)

4) What are some best practices for facilitating forums online?
An instructor should serve as moderator for online forums. To do this it’s important to create a collaborative learning environment from the start by setting guidelines such as letting students know when and where to post content. It’s also important to give learners a chance to share with each other before contributing as an instructor with the lesson objectives in mind.