Two PGR students from the School of Education presented their work at the LEAD Graduate School & Research Network retreat for PhD researchers, which took place in April in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany.

Zhipeng Wen and Hsiao-Chiang (Hope) Wang were able to attend the event with the cooperation of both University of Glasgow and University of Tübingen, Germany as members of the CIVIS European University Alliance.

LEAD (Learning, Educational Achievement, and life course Development) is a research network as well as a graduate school for PhD students at the University of Tübingen. LEAD retreats take place twice a year, and provide an opportunity for education researchers across all career levels to come together and learn from each other, exchange views, and grow the network.

At the Spring 2025 retreat, Zhipeng led a Special Interest Group titled “Exploring Digital and Traditional Tools in Language Learning: Motivation, Comprehension, and Anxiety” where she presented her self-developed digital reading game “Hungry Rabbit”, and compared its features and functions with traditional print-based learning resources.



Zhipeng said: “The feedback on “Hungry Rabbit” affirmed both its strengths and its potential for future development, and the discussions on tool integration and learner diversity provided useful directions for innovation…. Moving forward, I intend to build upon the insights gained during the retreat, both by refining my current project and by exploring broader collaborations with other researchers in the LEAD community.

Hsiao-Chiang (Hope) facilitated a workshop on "Creative Methods in Educational research". Drawing on her experience designing workshops for her PhD research, Hope adopted a participatory approach and shared insights from her own projects to engage participants.



Hsiao-Chiang (Hope) said: “It was a truly enriching experience, and I hope the CIVIS network can keep bringing researchers together to exchange ideas and inspire each other. Collaborations like these not only build connections but also sharpen our perspectives, making our work stronger and more impactful.”

First published: 5 June 2025

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Zhipeng Wen LEAD report

Hsiao-Chiang (Hope) Wang LEAD report