To ensure his students absorb the material, nursing professor Jason Kiernan has made use of self-edited videos, rap songs, and props—including a giraffe toy and gift wrap string.

That creative approach to teaching has earned him provincial recognition, as winner of the 2016 Excellence in Teaching award from the Council of Ontario University Programs in Nursing. He received the honour at a ceremony Wednesday in Toronto.

Kiernan brought nearly 20 years of experience as a nurse and nearly nine as a nurse practitioner to his 2012 appointment as a lecturer in the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Nursing. He says he values teaching, citing the motto that “the highest form of scholarship is a publication in the peer-reviewed journal of the youthful mind.”

The award was one of eight conferred by the council, focusing on four key areas: excellence in teaching, innovation in research, student excellence and partnership support. Read a description of all the winners and their achievements.

“We are proud to recognize the outstanding achievements of this year’s Council of Ontario University Programs in Nursing award winners—some of Ontario’s finest nurse educators, scholars, and students,” says Michelle Cyr, director of the Office of Health Sciences at the Council of Ontario Universities. “These individuals exemplify the far-reaching impact of baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in Ontario.”