Helic, Denis, Hermann Maurer, and Nikolai Scerbakov. "Discussion forums as learning resources in web-based education." Advanced technology for learning 1.1 (2004): 8-15.

Discussion forums are valuable tools in Web-based education (WBE) systems, allowing learners to engage in dialogue about course topics and tasks. These forums hold significant educational potential, as they contain insights from previous learners that can benefit future students. However, effectively retrieving relevant information from these forums can be challenging. This paper introduces a tool designed to enhance information retrieval from discussion forums, facilitating the reuse of forum content as learning resources in WBE systems.