She is passionate about the sciences, however her most recent work has had a pedagogical focus. Her empirical work on group learning has helped to transform and increase the effectiveness of implementing cooperative and collaborative learning. Additionally, her contributions on the topic of students’ evaluation of teaching effectiveness have added significantly to the field of pedagogical research. Silvia was awarded the 2013-2014 Dawson College Research Recognition Award.

Contributions to Dawson’s Community

Silvia is an active participant in the SALTISE research group hosted at Dawson College. Additionally, Silvia has been a mentor not only to her students but also to fellow faculty members and actively supported their research over the course of her tenure at Dawson College.

Publications

• Abrami, P. C., Cohen, P. A., & d’Apollonia, S. (1988). Implementation problems in meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 58(2), 151-179.
• Abrami, P. C., & D’apollonia, S. (1990). The dimensionality of ratings and their use in personnel decisions. New directions for teaching and learning, 1990(43), 97-111.
• Abrami, P. C., & d’Apollonia, S. (1991). Multidimensional students’ evaluations of teaching effectiveness: Generalizability of” N= 1″ research: Comment on Marsh (1991).
• Abrami, P. C., Chambers, B., d’Apollonia, S., Farrell, M., & De Simone, C. (1992). Group outcome: The relationship between group learning outcome, attributional style, academic achievement, and self-concept. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 17(3), 201-210.
• Poulsen, C., Kouros, C., d’Apollonia, S., Abrami, P. C., Chambers, B., & Howe, N. (1995). A comparison of two approaches for observing cooperative group work. Educational Research and Evaluation, 1(2), 159-182.
• Lou, Y., Abrami, P. C., Spence, J. C., Poulsen, C., Chambers, B., & d’Apollonia, S. (1996). Within-class grouping: A meta-analysis. Review of educational research, 66(4), 423-458.
• D’Apollonia, S. (1997). The dimensionality and validity of student ratings of instruction: two meta-analyses (Doctoral dissertation, Concordia University).
• d’Apollonia, S., & Abrami, P. C. (1997). Navigating student ratings of instruction. American psychologist, 52(11), 1198.
• Abrami, P. C., & d’Apollonia, S. (1999). Current concerns are past concerns.
• Lou, Y., Abrami, P. C., & d’Apollonia, S. (2001). Small group and individual learning with technology: A meta-analysis. Review of educational research,71(3), 449-521.
• d’Apollonia, S. T., Charles, E. S., & Boyd, G. M. (2004). Acquisition of complex systemic thinking: Mental models of evolution. Educational Research and Evaluation, 10(4-6), 499-521.
• Charles, E. S., & d’Apollonia, S. T. (2004). Understanding what’s hard in learning about complex systems. In Proceedings of the 6th international conference on Learning sciences (pp. 590-590). International Society of the Learning Sciences.
• Abrami, P. C., d’Apollonia, S., & Rosenfield, S. ” The Dimensionality of Student Ratings of Instruction: What We Know and What We Do Not*.” The scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education: An evidence-based perspective (pp. 385-456). Springer Netherlands, 2007

Funded Grants

• d’Apollonia, S., Seivewright, B., Kunicki, S. “Learners, not Lurkers: Connecting Conceptual and Social Networks in Science Education.” Programme d’aide à la recherche sur l’enseignement et l’apprentissage (PAREA), 2011-2013.
• d’Apollonia, S., et al. Inquiry-based interdisciplinary environmental studies: College option. MELS: Chantier 3 . This project was a collaboration among Dawson College, le Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne and l’Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), 2009-2010.
• d’Apollonia, S. et al. Alignment of Mathematics and Science Curricula Project. Canada-Quebec Entente, 2006-2009.

 Education

• PhD, 1997, Special Individualized Program, Concordia University
• PhD, Plant Physiology, King’s College, University of London