Research Interests

Silvana’s research focuses on dyslexia, writing instruction, and speech-to-text technology (STT). The aim of her ongoing project is to investigate if the speech recognition technology can be used in a beneficial way by students with dyslexia for composing texts. She is also interested in the challenges of implementing such a tool in schools, as well as the features of the pupils and the environment that facilitate or create barriers to its use. As a former speech pathologist and a primary school teacher, Silvana’s research combines her practical experience in language teaching and the treating of dyslexia with her theoretical knowledge.

Silvana is a visiting researcher at Macquarie University coming from the Zurich University of Teacher Education in Switzerland and the University of Fribourg (CH). Her research project and her research stay in Sydney are both fully funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).

Biography and Employment

Silvana holds a first Bachelor’s degree in Primary Education, a second Bachelor’s degree in Speech and Language Pathology, and a Master’s in Special Needs Education/Speech and Language Pathology. She has practical experience as a teacher in primary school and as a lecturer in the Bachelor of Speech and Language Pathology programme, as well as in both clinical and school-based speech and language therapy. She is currently pursuing her doctorate at the University of Fribourg and at the Zurich University of Teacher Education in Switzerland. She is employed as a research and teaching assistant at the Zurich University of Teacher Education.