Roots & Wings Overview – Department of Psychology

Roots & Wings 2.0

Overview Roots & Wings 2.0 Course System FAQs Enquiries

Overview

Roots & Wings 2.0 replaces and revises the CFG1010 (Roots and Wings: Personal and Interpersonal Effectiveness 1.0) and CFG1020 (Roots & Wings: Personal and Interpersonal Effectiveness 2.0) courses that were previously offered by the Centre for Future-ready Graduates (CFG). However, it keeps to the objective of equipping students with essential soft skills for their better functioning in the face of an increasingly complex and volatile environment.

As with CFG1010/1020, roots and wings refer respectively to personal effectiveness and interpersonal effectiveness. Roots & Wings 2.0 thus focuses on cultivating students’ personal and interpersonal soft skills that are applicable across life domains, including the future domain of work. The contents and skills covered in this cultivation of soft skills are based on empirical findings from psychological research.

Roots & Wings 2.0 is a programme that comprises a number of different bite-size 1-unit courses, with each course focused on an important soft skill.

Roots & Wings 2.0 Course System

In Roots & Wings 2.0, an important soft skill will be offered through a 1-unit R&W course.

A typical course comprises three 3-hour sessions. Sessions will typically be activity-based, with an emphasis on experiential learning.

Courses are typically run in classes of 25, with each class meeting for three sessions across the first or second half of an academic semester. Thus, in a semester, there will be multiple groups taking the same course at different times. For instance, one class in the first half of the semester might meet at the same timeslot (Mon 10am to 1pm) for Weeks 1, 3, and 5, while another class in the second half of the semester might meet at the same timeslot but on Weeks 8, 10, and Week 12.

There is no prerequisite or preclusion for enrolling in a course. Upon satisfactory completion of a course, students will receive 1 unit which can be counted towards the Unrestricted Elective (UE) portion of their graduation requirements. Students can accumulate up to 8 units in the UE space by taking different courses from Roots & Wings 2.0.

Assessment for a course will typically comprise active participation (around 75%) and written reflection (around 25%). Courses are graded on a CS/CU (Completed Satisfactorily/Completed Unsatisfactorily) basis. Attendance at all sessions is compulsory. Doing a make up for an absence is possible if there is a valid reason (e.g., medical leave, death in family, representing NUS for events) together with supporting documents.

FAQs

1. What is Roots & Wings 2.0? How is it different from CFG1010 (Roots and Wings: Personal and Interpersonal Effectiveness 1.0) and CFG1020 (Roots & Wings: Personal and Interpersonal Effectiveness 2.0) that were previously offered?

Roots & Wings 2.0 revises and replaces CFG1010 and CFG1020. However, as with CFG1010/1020, Roots & Wings 2.0 seeks to equip students with essential soft skills to face an increasingly complex and volatile environment. While CFG1010/1020 was delivered by the Centre for Future-Ready Graduates (CFG), Root & Wings 2.0 will now be delivered by the Department of Psychology in collaboration with CFG. An important characteristic of Roots & Wings 2.0 is that it is now a programme that comprises a series of 1-unit courses coded as PLS80xx, and is not a specific course like CFG1010. There are also other important differences that define Roots & Wings 2.0 (e.g., registration process, mode of delivery).

2. What are the benefits of Roots & Wings 2.0?

Each PLS80xx course under Roots & Wings 2.0 seeks to teach a soft skill (e.g., resilience, collaboration) that aims to enhance students’ adaptiveness across various domains of life (including school).

3. Who should read the PLS80xx courses under Roots & Wings 2.0?

Any student who feels that he/she wants to improve on the soft skill that is the focus of a particular course.

4. Is it compulsory for students to read at least one R&W course throughout their candidature in NUS?

No, you are free to decide whether you want to read a course. You can opt not to read any course at all during your candidature.

5. Can students who have read CFG1010/1020 take an R&W course?

Yes.

6. Which curriculum space does an R&W course fit into?

An R&W course can be counted as an Unrestricted Elective (UE) towards a student’s graduation requirements.

7. Which level in the UE space can an R&W course be used for?

An R&W course can be used for any level in the UE space.

8. How many units is an R&W course worth?

Each R&W course is worth 1 unit.

9. Why is an R&W course worth only 1 unit?

An R&W course is not a typical course; it generally comprises only 9 contact hours in a semester, and thus is worth 1 unit.

10. How many R&W courses can I take in the course of my candidature?

You can take as many courses as you wish. However, you are allowed to count only up to 8 units (i.e., 8 courses) in the UE space towards your graduation requirements.

11. If I decide to take up Roots & Wings 2.0, is there any expectation that I must complete a certain number of courses?

No. The critical consideration is whether you think a course will be beneficial to you.

12. Can I read more than one R&W course within a semester?

Yes, as long as there are no timetable clashes.

13. Are there any pre-requisites for an R&W course?

14. What is the duration for an R&W course?

Typically, an R&W course will comprise 3 3-hour sessions that are spread over the first or second half of an academic semester.

15. What is the teaching format of an R&W course?

The teaching format varies depending on the instructor. A course may be conducted as small-class seminar-style sessions, or may be conducted in lecture-tutorial format. Please check Canvas for the teaching format and other details on a particular course being offered.

16. Who are the instructors for the courses?

The courses will be delivered by a combination of staff from the Department of Psychology and the Centre for Future-ready Graduates.

17. How many courses will be offered?

The following 5 courses will be offered every semester: PLS8001 Cultivating Collaboration, PLS8002 Cultivating the Self, PLS8003 Cultivating Resilience, PLS8004 Optimizing Performance and PLS8005 Elevating Interpersonal Communication

18. Will more courses be offered in subsequent Academic Years?

There are plans to develop and offer more courses in subsequent years.

19. What are the assessment components for a course?

Typically, students will be assessed for their participation (e.g., role play, group discussions, pop quizzes) during the contact sessions. They are also expected to submit written reflections after the contact sessions.

20. Will there be any exams for a course?

21. How will a course be graded?

The grading will be on a CS/CU basis.

22. Can a student retake a course if he/she gets a CU grade for it?

Yes.

23. How can I get to read a course?

You have to select the course in CourseReg@EduRec.

24. From which round is a course available for selection?

It is available for selection from Round 1.

25. How do I choose the time slots for a course?

You can select your preferred time slot via CourseReg@EduRec.

26. How do I appeal for a course if I am unable to secure it through course selection?

Appeals could be submitted via the Submit Appeals/Inquiries function in CourseReg@EduRec. Note that appeals for groups that have already begun will not be approved as attendance is compulsory for all sessions. Students can only appeal for groups that have not begun yet, subject to availability and approval.

27. Can I drop a course after I have successfully obtained it?

Yes. You can drop it yourself before the ‘W’ grade period if your workload permits. If you wish to drop after the 'W' grade or ‘F’ grade has taken effect, please write in to psyboxRW@nus.edu.sg, providing your name, matric number, and the reason for wanting to drop the course. The department will review your request and inform you if any waiver of grade penalty is allowed.

28. Is attendance compulsory?

Yes, attendance and satisfactory completion of ALL sessions of a course are necessary to obtain the 1 unit. If you miss a session without valid reason and fail to make up for it, you will most likely get a CU grade as the participation component takes up a substantial portion of the course grade.

29. Is it possible to make-up for a missed lesson?

Yes, but requests for make-up will only be entertained if there are valid reasons (e.g., medical leave, death in family, representing NUS for events). Supporting documents must be provided.

30. Who should I approach to request for a make-up for a missed lesson?

You can approach your instructor for the course.

31. For PLS8002 Cultivating the Self, how are the lessons structured?

Tutorials are conducted in the weeks that follow each lecture.
If you are enrolled in L1 (lectures will be conducted in Weeks 2 and 4), please select one of the following tutorial groups which will be conducted in Weeks 3 and 5: TD1, TD2, TD3, TD4, TD5.
If you are enrolled in L2 (lectures will be conducted in Weeks 7 and 9), you should select one of the following tutorial groups which will be conducted in Weeks 8 and 10: TE1, TE2, TE3, TE4, TE5.

32. Who can I contact if I have any queries?

Queries can be directed to psyboxRW@nus.edu.sg.

Enquiries