Kim Koh
Positions
Professor
Werklund School of Education, Specialization, Leadership
Contact information
Background
Educational Background
Doctor of Philosophy Measurement, Evaluation, & Research Methodology, The University of British Columbia, 2004
M.A. Clinical Psychology, National University of Malaysia, 1996
B.A. Hons. Psychology, National University of Malaysia, 1994
Biography
Dr. Koh is a Professor in Educational Assessment and Measurement, and serves as the Graduate Program Director of Educational Research in Language and Literacy, and Curriculum and Learning at the Werklund School of Education. Prior to that, she served as the Chair of Educational Studies in the Learning Sciences. Kim grew up in Malaysia and had taught psychology, educational assessment, and research methods courses in various cultural contexts. She was a lecturer in clinical child psychology but went on to complete her doctoral study in educational measurement, assessment, evaluation, and research methodology at the University of British Columbia. Before joining the University of Calgary, she held appointments at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. At the University of Calgary, she has received numerous grants and awards in research and teaching. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in classroom assessment and mixed methods. She is a supervisor cum mentor of graduate students in educational research. She also has supervised and mentored numerous undergraduate students to win the PURE awards and the Werklund Undergraduate Research Awards. Dr. Koh has served as the program chair of Division D (Measurement and Research Methodologies) at the 2018 American Educational Research Association (AERA) annual meeting. She is an editorial board/advisory member of the Journal of Early Childhood Literacy and the Teacher Educator.
Professional & Community Affiliations
Dr. Koh offers her expertise in assessment to the schools in Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. She has also provided her technical advice to the UNESCO’s literacy assessment project and served as a consultant for the Singapore Centre for Chinese Language to develop the first Chinese Language Oral Proficiency Diagnostic Assessment Tool.
- Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE)
- American Educational Research Association (AERA)
- International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA)
Research
Areas of Research
Dr. Koh’s research focuses on: (1) authentic assessment task design and students' learning in STEM and other subjects, (2) problem-based learning and preservice teachers' assessment literacy, (3) use of effective exemplars to promote assessment for learning practices in higher education, and (4) teachers' equitable assessment, grading, and reporting practices. She is also interested in test/survey development and validation, as well as assessment design using virtual reality and generative AI. Working with Professor Allan Luke, she was instrumental in leading a classroom assessment panel in the signature CORE I Research Program on Pedagogy and Assessment at the National Institute of Education Singapore. She also developed the Singaporean Diagnostic Reading Assessment, which serves as a formative assessment tool to enhance the quality of reading instruction for young children. At the University of Calgary, Dr. Koh is working closely with Professor Olive Chapman and their undergraduate and graduate students in the design and use of authentic assessments to promote girls' STEM literacy, interest, and self-efficacy. In collaboration with Professor Sharon Friesen and two high school leaders, they are working toward building teachers' capacity to design and implement equitable assessments for all learners.
- Classroom assessment and student learning
- Problem-based learning and preservice teacher assessment education
- Inservice teacher professional learning in assessment
- Authentic assessment task design and virtual reality
- Mixed methods research design
- Survey design and development
- Comparative education
Participation in university strategic initiatives
Courses
| Course number | Course title | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 456 Secondary | Assessment | Winter semesters of 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 |
| EDUC 456 Elementary | Assessment | Winter semesters of 2021, 2022 |
| EDER 600 | Research Methodology in Education | 2021 |
| EDER 678.81 | Design-Based Assessment | Fall semesters of 2023, 2024 |
| EDER 701.25 | Mixed Methods | Fall semesters of 2022, 2024 |
Projects
- Designing Authentic Assessments to Promote Girls' STEM Literacy, Interest, and Self-Efficacy (SSHRC Insight Grant)
- Examining the Impact of Equitable Formative and Summative Assessments and Reporting Practices on High School Students' Learning (Alberta Education Research Partnership Grant)
- Building Preservice Elementary Teachers' Capacity in Mathematics Authentic Assessment (SSHRC Insight Grant)
- Designing Authentic Assessments to Promote Girls’ Self-Efficacy and Interest in STEM Subjects (Alberta Education Research Partnership Grant)
- Understanding Undergraduate Students' and Instructors' Perceptions of and Experiences with Exemplars (University of Calgary Teaching and Learning Grant)
- Signature Pedagogies for Preservice Assessment Education: Does One Size Fit All? (University of Calgary Teaching and Learning Grant)
Awards
- University of Calgary Graduate Students' Association Excellence in Teaching Award, 2023
- University of Calgary Eyes High Postdoctoral Fellow Matching Fund (Supervisor) , 2022
- University of Calgary Eyes High Doctoral Recruitment Award (Supervisor), 2016
- University of Calgary Teaching Award for Curriculum Development , 2014
- Partner of Teachers Network Award, 2006
- UBC Ph.D. Dissertation Award Nominee, 2003
- Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship, 2002
- R. Howard Webster Foundation Fellowship, 2002
- UBC Graduate Fellowship, 2002
Publications
- Assessment of higher-level mathematical thinking skills: A scoping review. Koh, K., Chapman, O., Gierus, B., & Stacey, K. ZDM Mathematics Education. 57, 665-678. (2025)
- Material school landscape through the eyes of recent refugee-background children and parents: A photovoice study. Chao, X., & Koh, K. Teachers College Record. 127(4), 3-29. (2025)
- Authentic and alternative language assessment: Design and implementation. Koh, K., & Fu, R. In A. V. Brown, C. Crane, B. C. Dupuy, & E. Ene (Eds.), Handbook of language program administration. Routledge. 161-173. (2025)
- Prevalence and quality of mixed methods research in educational subdisciplines: A systematic review. Gierus, B., Du, T., Maduforo, A. N., Gilbert, B., & Koh, K. SAGE Open. 15(2), 1-20. (2025)
- Designing culturally responsive online assessments for equity-deserving students. Koh, K. Cultural and Pedagogical Inquiry. 15(1), 71-88. (2023)
- All that glitters is not gold: Culturally responsive online assessment and pedagogy in uncertain times. Koh, K., Lock, J. & DePass, C. Cultural and Pedagogical Inquiry. 15(1), 1-9. (2023)
- Building elementary school teachers’ capacity in the design and implementation of authentic STEM assessments for girls . Koh, K., Chapman, O., & Liu, S. International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology. 14(2), 247-279. (2022)
- STEM, online, and Innovative mathematics teaching strategies for all students. Chapman, O., & Koh, K . Journal of Mathematics Education. 15(1), 1-15. (2022)
- Exploring the integration of virtual reality into the design of authentic assessments for STEM learning. Koh, K., Chapman, O., & Lam, L. Handbook of research on transformative and innovative pedagogies in education. IGI Global . 18-35. (2022)
- Instructors' professional development and learning of problem-based learning in higher education. Lock, J., & Koh, K. IGI Global. 69-84. (2020)
- Building teachers' capacity in mathematics authentic assessment. Koh, K., & Chapman, O. Brill/Sense Publishers. 43-76. (2019)
- Developing teachers’ assessment literacy: A tapestry of ideas and inquiries. Koh, K., DePass, C., & Steel, S. Brill/Sense Publishers. (2019)
- Improving teachers’ assessment Literacy in Singapore mathematics classrooms: Authentic assessment task design. Koh, K., & Chapman, O. Springer . 207-221. (2018)
- Signature pedagogies for educators using films: An example from Singapore. Tan, C., & Koh, K. The Teacher Educator. 53(1), 86-100. (2018)
- Developing the assessment literacy of teachers in Chinese language classrooms: A focus on assessment task design. Koh, K., Burke, LECA., Luke, A., Gong, W., & Tan, C. Language Teaching Research. 22(3), 264-288. (2018)
- Authentic assessment. Koh, K. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. (2017)
- Promoting reflection in pre-service teachers through problem-based learning: An example from Canada. Koh, K., & Tan, C. Reflective Practice. 17(3), 347-356. (2016)
- Authentic assessment, teacher judgment and moderation in a context of high accountability. Koh, K. In C. Wyatt-Smith, V. Klenowski, & P. Colbert (Eds.), The enabling power of assessment. Springer. (2014)
- Improving teachers’ assessment literacy through professional development. Koh, K. Teaching Education . 22(3), 255-276. (2011)
- Authentic and conventional assessment in Singapore schools: An empirical study of teacher assignments and student work. Koh, K., & Luke, A. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice. 16(3), 291-318. (2009)
- Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis for testing measurement invariance in mixed item format data. Koh, K., & Zumbo, B. Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods. 7(2), 471-477. (2008)
- Examining the construct comparability of the English and French versions of TIMSS. Ercikan, K., & Koh, K. International Journal of Testing. 5(1), 23-35. (2005)
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