Why Touch Grass Week?
In an era dominated by screens, NUS College is inviting undergraduates to step outside and reconnect with the tangible world through Touch Grass Week. The initiative aims to rekindle hands-on learning, strengthen peer collaboration, and highlight the value of outdoor and in-person experiences in a holistic education. By design, the week blends creative exercises with reflective discussions, letting students experience knowledge in a different medium—one that often yields fresh perspectives and deeper engagement.
What Happens During the Week?
During Touch Grass Week, students participate in a series of offline activities that complement their regular coursework. In one hands-on session, six students gather on the college lawn, forming a circle to discuss a short story while jotting notes in their course books resting on their laps. The casual setup lowers the barrier to participating, encouraging shy students to contribute and allowing ideas to surface without the pressure of a formal classroom environment.
In another creative writing class, participants select everyday objects—such as a sponge or eggshells—and draw inspiration from them to craft micro-narratives or poems. These tangible prompts foster sensory-rich storytelling and demonstrate that writing can thrive away from screens. The emphasis on physical engagement helps students notice details they might overlook during screen-based learning.
Educational Rationale Behind the Initiative
Educators at NUS College argue that offline learning cultivates habits crucial to long-term success: attention management, collaboration, and adaptive problem-solving. When students physically move between activities, they activate different cognitive pathways, which can boost memory retention and critical thinking. Touch Grass Week also serves as a counterbalance to the digital-dominated classroom, reminding students that knowledge often emerges through conversation, observation, and tactile exploration.
Benefits for Students
Takeaway benefits include improved communication skills, stronger peer networks, and heightened creativity. Working in groups outdoors encourages egalitarian participation, as the open space naturally reduces hierarchical dynamics that can dominate traditional classrooms. The format also provides a low-stakes space for experimentation, where feedback is immediate and collaborative rather than evaluative. For many students, the experience renews motivation and makes coursework feel more relevant to real-world contexts.
Faculty Perspective and Curriculum Integration
Professors involved in Touch Grass Week view it as a complementary approach rather than a replacement for digital learning. The outdoor sessions are designed to align with the college’s broader curriculum goals: fostering interdisciplinary thinking, cultivating empathy, and developing practical communication skills. By integrating short, offline activities into a busy semester, instructors can gauge how students apply theoretical concepts in tangible situations, from storytelling to collaborative design thinking.
Student Voices and Outcomes
Early participant feedback suggests that the week is resonating with undergraduates who crave variety in teaching methods. Students report that moving between different formats—circle discussions, object-inspired writing, and hands-on reflection—helps them process information more deeply. Some note that taking notes on laps rather than a desk desk fosters a sense of shared responsibility and immediacy in the learning process. Overall, students describe a renewed appreciation for the value of offline study as a complement to their digital life.
Looking Ahead: A Model for Other Campuses?
As universities worldwide reassess how and where learning happens, Touch Grass Week at NUS College could serve as a scalable model. The program demonstrates that offline experiences can enrich academic outcomes, support well-being, and strengthen community among students. If successful, similar initiatives could be adopted across disciplines, from literature and social sciences to design and entrepreneurship, encouraging more campuses to strike a balance between online and offline learning.
Conclusion
Touch Grass Week embodies a simple but powerful idea: stepping away from the glow of screens can invigorate curiosity and collaboration. For NUS College undergraduates, the grass is not just a lawn; it’s a launchpad for learning that blends observation, conversation, and creation in a single, accessible experience.
