What *scale* are we using here...?

[bunn]

I volunteered to help with a local hedge survey. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what a hedge survey is, and the info supplied did not greatly enlighten me - but I thought it sounded interesting and assumed someone would tell me more before I got too involved.

Now I have an invite to a 'training day' with a form to fill in that asks (in Avenir 35 light, an unusual choice of font, though undeniably cheery):
"I would say that my skills/experience/knowledge of landscape archaeology is: poor / fair / good / high / expert

I would say that my skills/experience/knowledge of plant species identification is: poor / fair / good / high / expert "

I have no idea how to answer these questions. I'm tempted to say 'poor' for both, on the grounds that then I'm not raising expectations and presumably they are assuming a level of basic interest from the fact that I've volunteered at all?   But then my plant species identification is better than my landscape archaeology, so maybe that should be fair. Except I'm not sure how fair, good, and high are different, they sound like Tolkienien elf-descriptions. But presumably they are on a sliding scale of some sort.  If you were high, would you graduate to 'expert' if you wrote a book? 

It also asks about 'relevant qualifications' which I always feel is a 'how long is a piece of string' question in a very Dirk Gently, fundamental-interconnectedness-of-all-things manner. 

Comments

[ladyofastolat.livejournal.com]

I don't think they care what scale you use, as long as your post-course form shows that your knowledge has increased, which will allow them to go "Woot! We've facilitated LEARNING!" and justify their funding. So clearly what you should do is say "good" now, and "poor" when asked to reassess your knowledge after the course, prompting them to freak out and wonder what on earth they did to cause all knowledge to flee your brain.

Either that, or mark yourself as "expert" and spend the entire course exuding an air of subtly superior disapproval, occasionally shaking your head discreetly or sucking in a quiet breath, but never actually saying anything.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Oh lord, of course. Public sector... I was foolishly assuming that I was being asked questions because the answers might actually be useful to someone! How naive am I! :-D

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

I am sure that you have the right of it there.