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| Media studies v chemistry - which is easier? | Media studies v chemistry - which is easier? |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Media studies is a doss while chemistry is an old-style rigorous academic subject, right? Well, how do you explain these GCSE results then, asks Michael Blastland in his regular column. But first, a quick exam of your own. | Media studies is a doss while chemistry is an old-style rigorous academic subject, right? Well, how do you explain these GCSE results then, asks Michael Blastland in his regular column. But first, a quick exam of your own. |
| TIMER: 0:30 | TIMER: 0:30 |
| You've scored %count% out of 3. | You've scored %count% out of 3. |
Out of time | Out of time |
| You've run out of time for this test. Would you like to: | You've run out of time for this test. Would you like to: |
| But how would you tell if chemistry was easier or harder than media studies? You would, of course, need to base your answer on robust evidence using hard data, rather than on hunch or prejudice. | |
| The answer? Oh, easy. We did it in the newspapers just the other day. The answer is that media studies is easiest: Mickey Mouse subject and all that, not worth the paper it's written on. Now, if only I could remember what the evidence was | The answer? Oh, easy. We did it in the newspapers just the other day. The answer is that media studies is easiest: Mickey Mouse subject and all that, not worth the paper it's written on. Now, if only I could remember what the evidence was |
| I know: easier exams are easier to pass, aren't they? So all we have to do is look up the pass rate. That's hard evidence. A colleague on the Magazine dug out the data (see below, or open the PDF for a fuller breakdown). | I know: easier exams are easier to pass, aren't they? So all we have to do is look up the pass rate. That's hard evidence. A colleague on the Magazine dug out the data (see below, or open the PDF for a fuller breakdown). |
| GCSE pass rates by subject Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here | GCSE pass rates by subject Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here |
| Oh. Because it seems that the subjects most candidates pass at GCSE are physics and chemistry. Media studies is well into the bottom half of the pass rate. If we ranked the results by A* success, rather than A* to C, media studies is the seventh lowest (ie fewest A*) out of 44. So according to our first rule of argument, media studies must be considered one of the hardest subjects at GCSE and much harder than physics or chemistry. | Oh. Because it seems that the subjects most candidates pass at GCSE are physics and chemistry. Media studies is well into the bottom half of the pass rate. If we ranked the results by A* success, rather than A* to C, media studies is the seventh lowest (ie fewest A*) out of 44. So according to our first rule of argument, media studies must be considered one of the hardest subjects at GCSE and much harder than physics or chemistry. |
| Or maybe our chosen measurement doesn't tell us what we think it does. | Or maybe our chosen measurement doesn't tell us what we think it does. |
| Some who think media studies easy will also have made a quick adjustment to their argument. Instead of saying the pass rate is a good measure of easiness - the more who pass, the easier it is - they might now say that pass rate is a good measure of ability. | Some who think media studies easy will also have made a quick adjustment to their argument. Instead of saying the pass rate is a good measure of easiness - the more who pass, the easier it is - they might now say that pass rate is a good measure of ability. |
| That is, if fewer people pass a subject, it's because only the dimwits study it. Everyone knows that media studies attracts flaky types incapable of a proper subject, that's why so few - relatively - do well This sounds suspiciously as if the data is being reinterpreted to match any existing prejudice, but let's put that aside and ask if it could be true. | That is, if fewer people pass a subject, it's because only the dimwits study it. Everyone knows that media studies attracts flaky types incapable of a proper subject, that's why so few - relatively - do well This sounds suspiciously as if the data is being reinterpreted to match any existing prejudice, but let's put that aside and ask if it could be true. |
| Maybe, except that look, there's mathematics down near the bottom of the pile meaning that even fewer people pass mathematics than pass media studies. To be consistent with our last argument, we now have to say that maths attracts less academically able students. | Maybe, except that look, there's mathematics down near the bottom of the pile meaning that even fewer people pass mathematics than pass media studies. To be consistent with our last argument, we now have to say that maths attracts less academically able students. |
| Until we remember that almost everyone has to study maths. So maybe the pass rate is pulled down by those who can't do maths but take it anyway? | Until we remember that almost everyone has to study maths. So maybe the pass rate is pulled down by those who can't do maths but take it anyway? |
| Except that not everyone has to take additional maths, and additional maths is very close in success rates to media studies. | Except that not everyone has to take additional maths, and additional maths is very close in success rates to media studies. |
| And when you think about it, wasn't it a load of journalists who said media studies was easy. And what do many journalists do in their professional life? Ah yes, a kind of applied media studies. And for which subjects would they struggle to know which way round the exam paper goes? | And when you think about it, wasn't it a load of journalists who said media studies was easy. And what do many journalists do in their professional life? Ah yes, a kind of applied media studies. And for which subjects would they struggle to know which way round the exam paper goes? |
| Over to you | Over to you |
| Being a swarm of humanities graduates - confession, I am one of these - my guess is that many would be most baffled by chemistry and physics. So is it a surprise if journalists conclude that media studies questions are easy and physics questions hard? | Being a swarm of humanities graduates - confession, I am one of these - my guess is that many would be most baffled by chemistry and physics. So is it a surprise if journalists conclude that media studies questions are easy and physics questions hard? |
| So to come back to our question, how would we know which subject is easiest? Any answer that they are all easier now doesn't help and is worth 0 marks. We want to know the easiest. | So to come back to our question, how would we know which subject is easiest? Any answer that they are all easier now doesn't help and is worth 0 marks. We want to know the easiest. |
| You can download an Excel file (43.5kb) with all the data here | |
| Maybe we could look for at all the students who studied a science and media studies and see if there is a systematic bias in their results in favour of passing one of these more often than others. But what if there is a systematic bias in the kind of abilities this sort of hybrid arty-sciency student has, in favour of one side or another? | Maybe we could look for at all the students who studied a science and media studies and see if there is a systematic bias in their results in favour of passing one of these more often than others. But what if there is a systematic bias in the kind of abilities this sort of hybrid arty-sciency student has, in favour of one side or another? |
| One of the fascinations about statistics is that these questions, the to and fro of arguments, are only partly prompted by knowledge of how numbers work. Mostly, anyone could think of them just by using imagination about what the real world is like. | One of the fascinations about statistics is that these questions, the to and fro of arguments, are only partly prompted by knowledge of how numbers work. Mostly, anyone could think of them just by using imagination about what the real world is like. |
| Some who know their statistics methods might have an answer, which is a teasing way of saying that this is an underrated subject that can help solve fiendish problems. Meanwhile, over to you. | Some who know their statistics methods might have an answer, which is a teasing way of saying that this is an underrated subject that can help solve fiendish problems. Meanwhile, over to you. |
| Add your comments on this story, using the form below. | Add your comments on this story, using the form below. |
| The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions | The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions |