Just a few years ago, if you’d used the acronym “MOOC” in polite company, you’d have been directed to the closest farm. Today the latest development in online learning has come a long way from its early days, but not without its share of detractors. Much has been written in recent times about the failure of MOOCs, including Udacity completely turning its back on the promise of “free.” In addition, one of the most significant challenges is an extremely low completion rate (about 5 percent).

 Personally, we feel it is too early to judge whether or not MOOCs should be relegated to the history books. Studies show that if student intention is factored in, the average completion rate of MOOCs is much higher than, or even comparable to, that of traditional education. For instance,Coursera has a signature track that charges $50 to each student who intends to receive a certified certificate for completion of a MOOC; the completion rate for this group of students is close to 70 percent.

 However you define “success” when it comes to your MOOC, you first have to design a course to be as engaging as possible. Only then can you start to think about bringing it successfully (again—whatever your definition is) to market. Here are four tips to do that:

 1. Work local, think global. One of the most important aspects of creating a MOOC is to remember that you are quite possibly speaking to a global audience. After all, one of the original selling points of MOOCs was that they would reach hundreds of thousands of eager learners around the world. So the language used, while still appropriate to the level of the course, needs to be straightforward and easily understood.

 Do: make the course expectations clear. Display key information in a variety of ways (such as text, tables, graphics, videos, and so on).

 2. Engage through “edutainment.” Video lectures are one of the defining features of a MOOC. Take special care to create lectures that are not only informative, but also add in an element of entertainment. Remember that 10 minutes is a long time to sit in front of a “talking head.” Instead of simply writing your lesson plans, storyboard your lectures. This will help you treat your lecture like the “production” it really is.

 Do: incorporate as wide a variety of media into your lecture as you can. Use quotes, images, and “b-roll” footage from field production shoots to keep the learners’ eyes (and minds) stimulated.

 3. Answer this first: WIIFM? With any number of distractions at hand, the best way to keep students engaged, and on track for completion, is to think about it from their point of view. Answer this question for them: “What’s in it for me?” Often that answer lies in the perspective of the course you offer: is it compelling enough to keep them coming back?

That’s the approach we took with John Jay Online’s new MOOC,Literature and Law of American Slavery. On their own, Literature and Law are rather broad and do not automatically entice the average learner to want to know more. Adding American slavery to both subjects tells a better story of the caliber of literature and court cases that will be covered, and how they helped to shape the nation we live in today. And with Prof. John Matteson – one of the foremost experts of our time on the subject – as the course professor, we know students will get an experience here they won’t get anywhere else.

 Do: make sure a true authority on the subject develops your course content. Make complex concepts relatable, so that you draw the learner in and leave them wanting more.

 4. Divide and conquer. A clear distribution of efforts is important to smoothly create multi-faceted and engaging course content, with a strong structure, smooth navigation, and multiple communication outlets.

 Assigning various tasks to different people with defined skill sets (subject matter expert, project manager, instructional designer, videographer, backend developer, social media liaison, etc.) helps to ensure that no single portion of the course gets excessive focus. Bringing together a diverse, yet complementary team ensures that they look at, and work on, the creation of the MOOC experience from a broader perspective.

 Do: Find a project manager who’s a stickler for organization. Assigning tasks and scheduling flexible due dates is a great way for the team to understand both the bigger picture, as well as the most pressing, time-sensitive needs, at any given time.

Authors and Short Bios:

Feng Wang, Ph.D. is the Directorof John Jay Online at John Jay College of Criminal Justice of The City University of New York (CUNY). John Jay Online’s first MOOC, on theLiterature and Law of American Slavery, begins on September 30, 2014. Register or learn more: http://goo.gl/d7kpq6

Holly Davenport in the Senior Instructional Designer of John Jay Online at John Jay College of Criminal Justice of The City University of New York (CUNY). She leads faculty development programs on online teaching and course development.