I can add to this from both my experience as instructor or student. As a student if I see a free course my first step is let me get it, even if I dont end up going through it, its better to enroll and have than to not have. Thats my same thinking with free coupons that to use the coupon now before it expires and then when I have time I will take the course, usually though that never happens. Secondly from instructor point of view, the free student is in terms on marketing not at the engaged level, he just clicked so is just interested, whereas a paid student is interested, then desired it, paid for it and will most often that not want to get his money's worth. I do have a free course, that is sorf of a gateway course for students to get a feel for my teaching and then move onto paid course, but in general free courses have low engagement, low reviews and as a result instructors put low quality content.
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