Is "Free" eLearning a Good Thing?

FYI - Here is my two cents on offering "free" online courses.  It is a double-edged sword. 

"Free" is a good thing if (1) you have a grant that has paid for the technology and/or the course development and thus the course has been created as a member benefit, (2) if you want to invite a small group of mavens to take the course and then have them provide you with great testimonials to use in future marketing campaigns.

"Free" is not good over the long-term because (1) it creates an unintended perception that the quality may not be as good as something you pay for, and (2) you'll also see that completion rates for free courses are lower compared to those that people actually financially invest in.

My advice on "free" - step carefully. Think thoughtfully about the rationale.  Create a strategy for how you are going to approach "free".