| The teaching of adults differs considerably from | | | | democratic group discussion as opposed to a |
| children because of the background knowledge of | | | | lecture from a specialist or teacher. However, this |
| students and the fact that they are usually eager | | | | is not to say a teacher is absent, but more in |
| to learn of their own accord, instead of it being | | | | place to organise and moderate the informal |
| mandatory to be taught. Adult education is | | | | nature of the lessons. |
| continually evolving as numerous methods and | | | | Teachers had a similar role in folk high schools |
| incentives are established to try and make | | | | that were established in the 19th Century. These |
| education easy later in life, and this is being | | | | institutions also offered a wide and varied range |
| stimulated today with the increased accessibility | | | | of subjects, with a focus on religion and politics |
| through distance learning and e-Learning. | | | | (particularly in Denmark) in order to stimulate |
| Typical adult education centres offer the | | | | patriotic and religious interests, but alongside the |
| opportunity for students who have not completed | | | | other important lessons such as agriculture. By |
| their schooling to continue and aim for an | | | | the end of the 19th Century there were folk high |
| equivalent achievement (such as a GED in the | | | | schools across Scandinavia and as far south as |
| US), or they may well be adjoined to a university | | | | France, and into the 20th Century folk high |
| or college with the offer of Foundation courses, | | | | schools also became established in the USA. |
| A-Levels, or Degrees in the UK. | | | | In recent years, folk high school and liberal |
| However, liberal adult education is different again | | | | education methods have been seen to be |
| and takes its influence from teaching methods | | | | adopted by traditional learning institutions, such as |
| that originated in Scandinavia. The folkbildning | | | | the recent importance of peer and self |
| approach, as well as the folk high schools | | | | assessment that young and old students are |
| established in Norway, Sweden, and Germany | | | | expected to undertake. Similarly, the rise in |
| vary amongst themselves, but are all similar in | | | | e-Learning and home study courses can also be |
| that students aren't graded nor do they have any | | | | seen to adopt folk school methods - especially |
| exams. Instead, the focus of each institution is to | | | | when the relaxed nature of asynchronous learning |
| allow each individual to self-develop naturally. | | | | is considered, as well as the changing role of the |
| Many folkbildning lessons will feature a more | | | | lecturer or teacher in this environment. |