Meet CRADLE’s latest PhD scholarship holder
29 November 2023
In this post we hear from CRADLE’s newest strategic PhD scholarship holder, Xin Liu (Lexie). Lexie shares her thoughts on her decision to undertake further study and aspirations for the PhD journey ahead.
Tell us a little about yourself and what made you choose to do a PhD?
I’m Xin Liu (Lexie), and I am from Shandong Province in China. Shandong is the homeland of Confucius and renowned for Mount Tai, the globally known Tsingtao beer, and the beautiful coastal city. I love music, especially classical music, and the piano is an integral part of my life. I enjoy travelling, meeting new friends during my journeys, discovering new landscapes, and gaining more life experiences.
For me, choosing to pursue a PhD is a well-considered decision. On one hand, it’s because I found a topic I love during my Master’s studies, and I hope to conduct more in-depth research on it through doctoral studies. On the other hand, it’s about embarking on a life journey through a PhD, fearlessly exploring the unknown and embracing challenges.
I aspire to experience different cultures in a new country and region, meet more friends from around the world, broaden my horizons, and become more open-minded and inclusive. More importantly, I aim to enhance my academic capabilities, critical thinking, and independent research skills through doctoral studies, laying a solid foundation for my future academic endeavours.
What is your PhD topic and how does CRADLE suit your research?
I’m interested in the topics about feedback/feedback literacy and student as partners/co-creation/co-design. More specifically, my topic is around co-design feedback. I want to integrate the approach of student as partners/co-creation/co-design in the feedback research to promote equity and inclusion. CRADLE at Deakin University is the best place for me pursue my PhD since it has the best team in the field of assessment and feedback. The CRADLE team are generously providing their expertise to help me with my research. I am being supervised by two amazing CRADLE scholars: Dr Mollie Dollinger and Dr Joanna Tai. Dr Mollie Dollinger is my principal supervisor and is an expert in the field of student as partners/co-creation/co-design. My associate supervisor, Dr Joanna Tai, has great expertise in in the field of assessment and feedback.
What are you most looking forward to during your PhD journey?
I’m genuinely excited about meeting more friends who are passionate about research, sharing common interests, and engaging in meaningful exchanges with them. We can support each other’s growth and learning. I also wish to connect with more outstanding seniors in the field, learn from their experiences, and accelerate my own growth through their insights. Additionally, amidst studying, I plan to embark on a road trip across Australia, exploring the entire country from deserts to forests, to beaches and seas, immersing myself in the unique Australian nature and culture.
