MOOC in the West and East: A Comparative Content Analysis of Newspapers

Abstract

One of the most notable differences between massive open online courses (MOOCs) and other educational technology innovations is the general public’s unprecedented interest and participation. This study presents a comparative analysis of MOOCs’ public debate in different countries, focusing on media content in national newspapers related to MOOCs in China and Spain. The most critical themes in the main newspapers in both countries related to the MOOCs between 2012 and 2019 are identified. The analysis is made in 456 articles content, examining whether there is a different interpretation of different language and cultural backgrounds. The results indicate that the MOOC coverage has changed significantly over the eight years in both countries, with 2014 being the year with the most extensive regular publication on the MOOC topic in both countries. Since then, the total number of articles shows a clear downward trend in China, and Spanish newspapers started to reduce MOOC coverage, but it increases again from 2017 onwards. The focus of the MOOC discourse in the Chinese and Spanish newspapers is different from the English newspaper. In contrast, the articles in Spain focus on the possibility of using MOOCs in professional training and employment. In China, the focus seems to move towards educational equality regulations and educational policies in the 21st century.