Columbia University’s fourth course to be offered as a massive open online course (MOOC) on Coursera, Virology I: How Viruses Work, started today. The course is taught by Columbia Microbiology Professor Vincent Racaniello and was developed with support from the Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning (CCNMTL).

23,060 individuals are enrolled in the course — a number that is close to the total student population of Columbia University.

Racaniello’s 11-week course will introduce students to the common reactions that must be completed by all viruses for successful reproduction within a host cell and survival and spread within a host population. A continuation course, Virology II: How Viruses Cause Disease, is planned for later this year.

CCNMTL’s educational technologists helped Racaniello adapt the course content for Coursera and determined how to best use Coursera’s features—such as in-line video quizzes, assignments, transcripts, and captions—to make the course effective and engaging for students.