Kiernan Receives Innovative Pedagogy Grant

Fourteen Grants Awarded Across the University System

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SUMTER, SC (07/05/2018) The University of South Carolina Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) awarded USC Sumter Senior Instructor of Biology Dr. Dan Kiernan an Innovative Pedagogy Grant. Fourteen Innovative Pedagogy grants were awarded during the spring 2018 term.

The grant supports full-time faculty in the revision or development of exemplary courses. The goal of these grants is to invest in the continuous quality improvement of courses taught by faculty who provide students with exemplary, highly engaging courses, offered either in an online, blended, or traditional format. Each project addresses one or more pedagogy initiative such as active learning/flipped, diversity/inclusive teaching, experiential learning, integrative learning or technology integration.

To encourage critical thinking, Dr. Kiernan will update Biology 110 to a flipped/case study course with creative outside learning and in class problem solving. Kiernan believes that non-major science courses should produce informed citizens who can think critically and are equipped with practical knowledge that is relevant to their lives. When he first encountered the concept of flipped and case study pedagogy, he found himself focusing on how inquiry-based teaching as opposed to more traditional forms of teaching is a good recipe for relevance and critical thinking. With a desire to encourage these qualities in his students, he created a new Biology 110 inquiry-based course. A major issue that he encountered with the inquiry-based Biology 110 course was running out of time. After hearing about the flipped classroom, he determined that the methodology was the perfect solution to his dilemma. The updated flipped/case study course with creative outside learning and inside cooperative problem solving will allow students to learn about the scientific method (outside the classroom) but also actually work through the scientific method (inside the classroom).

In addition to several awards and accolades, Dr. Kiernan is the 2017-2018 winner of the Hugh T. Stoddard, Sr. Award for Distinguished Service at USC Sumter.

The University of South Carolina Sumter offers students a unique college experience, affordable tuition, as well as campus clubs and athletic opportunities. Our faculty provides a solid academic foundation for all students, who prove their success at the next level every year. Whether that means continuing on to a four-year school, finding meaningful work in a field they love, or just knowing their next step. The University of South Carolina is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associates, bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees.