What did we learn from Medlefors Folkhogskola?

During the first transnational visit to Sweden, Medlefors Folkhogskola introduced us to the unique way they work with their students.

Johanna, a student guidance councillor, began by explaining Medlefors attitude to learning: ‘come as you are, go as you like and leave satisfied.’ She also introduced learners to the concept of ‘folkbinding’- liberal adult education in Sweden which allows lifelong learning for everyone irrespective of age or background. Participation is voluntary meaning that people have the ability to influence their own learning journey and make choices which can benefit them directly. It will be interesting to see how different education systems in partner countries affect what we are able to offer disadvantaged groups.

We learned the types of support that Medlefors offers students. Student guidance councillors, such as Johanna, establish the first point of contact with a student and arrange  meetings where they can get to know students and their specific needs. Johanna then feeds this information back to the rest of the staff at Medlefors, in particular to Special Needs Teacher who plans students’ learning journeys, making adjustments where necessary to create an individual, unique schedule for each person.

ARTS learners were introduced the unique style in which students learn at Medlefors. Many students arrive at Medlefors having made little progress in the traditional education system in Sweden. Firstly, there was a huge emphasis on study aids including audio books, I-pads and Claro read. Students are particularly encouraged to learn using their senses, particularly using Dunnock Dunn’s and Larstil Smodell’s models of learning.

It became clear that using perception and senses at Medlefors is paramount and learners were invited to a lesson with Special Needs teacher Maria to try this out for themselves. Learners listened to Maria reading an extract from a novel and were asked to draw or paint whatever images came to mind. Some amazing images came out of working in this way. Likewise learners were then put into groups and asked to listen to songs from the film version of the same novel. They were then asked to write down how the songs made the learners feel with each individual feeling/emotion written down on strips of paper. These were collected and redistributed amongst each group who then put them together into a poem or pattern. This use of creativity allows everyone to express themselves and is a good introductory exercise for disadvantaged people learning to express themselves within a group.

A unique programme at Medlefors is ‘PULS’ which stands for ‘personal progression and lifestyle’. Students can choose from activities which increase motivation, relieve stress and improve communication skills as part of their weekly school timetable. Activities on offer include yoga, relaxation, physical exercise, cooking, study techniques and self-reflection (setting goals, evaluation etc.). The PULS programme ultimately allows students to express their feelings and opinions and put things into context in alternative ways.

We also learned the Study Circle technique, which is very popular in Sweden particularly with Arbetarnas Bildningsforbund (ABF), one of the owners of Medlefors. The Study Circle technique is a democratic learning environment where the leader is an equal member of the group. No special training is required to be a leader. Courses can be on any topic with the emphasis being on learning, discussion and creating together. We had opportunity to investigate the Study Circle through practical workshops and can now look at how we use what we have learned with our own groups.