With the Internet and innovative groupware such as WebCt and Blackboard for example, the adoption of asynchronous text based discussion especially in academic distance learning continue to increase in popularity.

Listed below are a few positive points in no particular order stated in literature:

• It creates a community of learners
• It makes interactive distance learning possible
• It makes group work possible
• It helps foster reflective thinking as it gives students time to think
• It enhances higher levels of critical thinking

However, to date there is still very little evidence that it actually does all of the above. The following presentation discusses our experiences and conclusions in performing three separate transcript analyses using the Garrison, Anderson & Archer (2000) Community of Inquiry Model for higher levels of learning.