Although universities are usually slow to change, several high-profile institutions in recent months have begun to experiment with offering courses to unprecedented numbers of simultaneous learners anywhere in the world for free. These initiatives, often referred to as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), have the following potential avenues: to expand access to learning opportunities, eliminate many geographic and economic barriers to education, create more diverse learning communities, transform lifelong learning, and augment face-to-face and traditional education in new ways. However, while MOOCs present new opportunities, they also raise a number of important questions for higher education administrators, faculty, and students.