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Bio

Maggie directs and oversees all operation, project, and research activities conducted in the Unit. She earned her doctorate in Psychometrics from University of Massachusetts and Master of Applied Positive Psychology from University of Pennsylvania, with a wide range of leading, teaching, research, and professional practice experience for over a decade.

Prior to joining HKU, Maggie worked as a psychometrician for Educational Testing Service (ETS) and contributed to several other assessment organizations in the United States and China. She has heavily engaged in various research projects in the advancement and application of quantitative methods in the education, social, behavioral and health sciences, and gained a substantive perspective in developing innovative solutions for assessment and evaluation. Her research interests lie broadly in the intersection of data science, learning sciences, and well-being science. Maggie actively serves on advisory boards, professional committees, and professional consultations in student learning, well-being, curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, program evaluation, and quality assurance.

AWARD, HONOR & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

President, International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) Education Division (2021-2023)

HKU Professional Services Individual Award Finalist (2017)

Institutional member focal point, UNESCO’s Network on Education Quality Monitoring in the Asia-Pacific

Honorary Advisor, Hong Kong Policy College

Member of Research and Development Committee, Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority

Associate Editor, Frontiers in Psychology: Educational Psychology

Publications and Presentations

Selected Publications

Zhao, Y., & Tay, L. (2022). From ill-being to well-being: Bipolar or Bivariate? The Journal of Positive Psychology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2022.2109204

Krause, K. R., Chung, S., Adewuya, A. O., Albano, A. M., Babins-Wagner, R., Brann, P., Birkinshaw, L., Creswell, C., Delaney, K., Falissard, B., Forrest, C. B., Hudson, J. L., Ishikawa, S.,  Khatwani, M., Kieling, C., Krause, J., Kumar, … Zhao, Y., Wolpert, M. (2020). International consensus on a standard set of outcome measures for child and youth anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Lancet Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30356-4

Zhao, Y., Kuan, H. K., Chung, J. O. K., Chan, C. K. Y., & Li, W. H. C. (2018). Students’ approaches to learning in a clinical practicum: A psychometric evaluation based on item response theory. Nurse Education Today. https://doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2018.04.015

Lo, B. C. Y., Zhao, Y., Ho, Y.-C., & Au, T. K. (2017). Psychometric properties of the Children’s Response Styles Questionnaire in a Hong Kong Chinese community sample. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes,15:198. https://doi: 10.1186/s12955-017-0774-x

Zhao, Y. (2017). Impact of IRT item misfit on score estimates and severity classifications: an examination of PROMIS depression and pain interference item banks. Quality of Life Research, 26(3), 555-564. https://doi: 10.1007/s11136-016-1467-3

Zhao, Y., Chan, W., & Lo, B. C. Y. (2017). Comparing five depression measures in depressed Chinese patients using item response theory: an examination of item properties, measurement precision and score comparability. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes,15:60. https://doi: 10.1186/s12955-017-0631-y

Zhao, Y., & Hambleton, R.K. (2017). Practical consequences of item response theory model misfit in the context of test equating with mixed-format test data. Frontiers in Psychology, 8:484. https://doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00484

Zhao, Y., Huen, J. M. Y., & Chan, Y. W. (2017). Measuring longitudinal gains in student learning: A comparison of Rasch scoring and summative scoring approaches. Research in Higher Education, 58(6), 605-616. https://doi: 10.1007/s11162-016-9441-z

Zhao, Y., Huen, J.M.Y., & Prosser, M. (2017). Comparing perceived learning experiences of two concurrent cohorts under curriculum reforms in Hong Kong: A multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis approach. Quality Assurance in Education, 25(3), 270-286. https://doi: 10.1108/QAE-11-2016-0070

Lo, B. C. Y., Zhao, Y., Kwok, A. W. Y., Chan, W., & Chan, C. K.Y. (2015). Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Asian Adolescent Depression Scale and construction of a short form: An item response theory (IRT) analysis. Assessment. https://doi: 10.1177/1073191115614393

Hsu, C.-L., Zhao, Y. & Wang, W.-C. (2013). Exploiting computerized adaptive testing for self-directed learning (pp. 257–280). In M. M. C. Mok (Ed.). Self-directed Learning Oriented Assessments in the Asia-Pacific. Netherlands: Springer. https://doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-4507-0

Hambleton, R.K., & Zhao, Y. (2005). Item Response Theory models for dichotomous data (Vol. 2, pp. 982–990). In Encyclopedia of Statistics in Behavioral Science. Chicester, England: Wiley. https://doi: 10.1002/0470013192.bsa039

Selected Presentations

Zhao, Y. (2021, July). Cultural intelligence, personality, and well-being in Hong Kong university students. Presented at International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) 7th World Congress 2021.

Zhao, Y. (2019, June). Evidence-based assessment in the era of big data. Invited speaker presented at Higher Education Summer Institute, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR.

Zhao, Y. (2018, September). Evidence-based learning assessment: Using “big data” for informing education practice and enhancing student learning. Paper presented at the 44th International Association for Educational Assessment Annual Conference, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Zhao, Y. (2018, July). Measuring intercultural competence: Methodological issues and challenges. Paper presented at the European Congress of Methodology 2018, Jena, Germany.

Zhao, Y. (2017, June). Data speaks: Institutional assessment of student learning. Invited speaker presented at Higher Education Summer Institute, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR.

Zhao, Y., Chung, J. O. K., Chan, C. K. Y., & Li, W. H. C. (2016, November). Assessment in workplace: Investigating a multi-source and multi-method approach to enhance student learning in clinical practicum. Paper presented at the 2016 Frontiers in Medical and Health Sciences Education Conference, Hong Kong SAR. (best oral presentation award)

Zhao, Y., Cham, T., Chan, Y.W., & Cheng, M.  (2016, August). Students’ voices on university residential experience at The University of Hong Kong. Paper presented at International Conference – Beyond the Formal Curriculum in Universities, Hong Kong SAR.

Zhao, Y. (2015, November). Advancing measurement in health sciences education and health outcomes research using item response theory. Paper presented at the 2015 Frontiers in Medical and Health Sciences Education Conference, Hong Kong SAR.

Zhao, Y. (2014, May). Modern psychometrics and technology in educational assessment. Presented at the Sciences of Learning Strategic Research Theme seminar, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR.

Zhao. Y., & Huen, J.M.Y. (2014, July).  A tale of two cohorts: Measuring and understanding the learning experience of the double cohort. Paper presented at the 2014 Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) Conference, Hong Kong SAR.

Selected Invited Presentations

Zhao, Y. (2018, June). Evidence-based learning assessment in the era of big data. Invited speaker presented at Higher Education Summer Institute, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR.

Zhao, Y.  (2017, June). Data speaks: Institutional assessment of student learning. Invited speaker presented at Higher Education Summer Institute, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR.

Zhao, Y. (2017, March). To like or not to like: Discovering a multi-source assessment approach in clinical experiential learning. Invited poster presentation at the conference of “Influencing Teaching and Learning Practice – Achieving the Ripple Effect”, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR.

Kwong, T. F.N., & Zhao, Y. (2016, January). What’s the ‘value addedness’ of a college degree in engineering? Emerging trends in assessing student learning outcomes. Keynote workshop presented at The 7th International Workshop on Innovative Engineering Education (IEE 2016), Jeju Island, South Korea.

Zhao, Y. (2014, May). Modern psychometrics and technology in educational assessment. Presented at the Sciences of Learning Strategic Research Theme seminar, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR.

Selected Projects

Principal Investigator, “WeThrive: A positive education informed interdisciplinary programme and a strengths-based pedagogical approach”, The University of Hong Kong, Teaching Development Grant, 2022-Present.

Co-Investigator, “Diversity of university engagement across Greater China”, Hong Kong Research Grants Council, General Research Fund (GRF), 2019-2021.

Principal Investigator, “Intercultural Learning Experience Questionnaire: Developing an institution-wide assessment instrument of global and intercultural competence”, The University of Hong Kong, Teaching Development Grant, 2017-2018.

Co-Investigator, “Learning and assessment for digital citizenship”, Hong Kong Research Grants Council, Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS), 2016-2021.

Principal Investigator, “Advancing the assessment of clinical experiential learning in medical and health sciences education”, The University of Hong Kong, Teaching Development Grant, 2016-2017.

Other Teaching and Professional Experiences

Maggie taught the postgraduate level courses of “Statistics and Research Design in Psychological Science”, “Quantitative Methods in Educational Research” and “Psychometric Theory”, and serves as a facilitator in the programme of “Professional Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education”.

She has a broad range of experience in various types of assessment, such as large-scale assessment, well-being measurement, personality assessment, patient reported outcomes measurement, licensure and credentialing examination, classroom assessment, and language assessment.