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Whether you started with AES or iCEV, now that the two systems are combining, you’re probably wondering what you’ve gained access to, and how you can use both to teach your health science classes.
So what do iCEV and AES look like? And how can they be combined to help you teach a better class?
In this article, you’ll discover guidance on using the health science material within iCEV and AES alongside one another. Along the way, we’ll answer questions like:
- How Are iCEV and AES Structured?
- How Do I Use Both Systems Together?
- What Are Some Other Tips for Using Both Systems?
By the end of this article, you’ll be better equipped to use both of these health science curriculum systems in your classroom.
1. How Are iCEV and AES Structured?
Though iCEV and AES cover similar health science material, their structures also have prominent differences.
How Is iCEV Structured?
The iCEV curriculum system is designed to educate students through lessons and instructional videos that teach concepts and skills.
Students receive information through digital lessons within the iCEV system. A lesson typically includes:
- Lesson Plans for Teachers
- Instructional Videos for Students
- Student Handouts
- Click-through Presentations
- Class Projects
In general, iCEV videos center around skills demonstrations and scenarios, while presentations feature static information pages similar to an eBook. A teacher can elect to show the presentations and videos in class or allow students to work independently.
In addition to videos, iCEV provides click-through presentations teachers can use in the classroom to teach and reiterate lesson content. Lessons also include project and activity handouts for students and lesson plans for instructors. Teachers can expect to find the same types of materials throughout the course.
How Is AES Structured?
AES structures every module within HealthCenter21 around a blended learning approach.
Blended learning combines traditional teaching methods with digital learning elements to create an effective learning environment where students can better learn, retain, and apply critical information.
The AES four-phase curriculum framework helps educators apply blended learning in their classrooms while saving teachers time with planning and grading.
The four phases of the AES curriculum are:
- Explore: Teacher-led activities to hook students’ interest
- Learn & Practice: Student-directed eLearning within the system to learn new concepts and skills
- Reflect: Teacher-led activities to review and discuss key ideas
- Reinforce: Student-directed projects to enhance understanding of concepts and skills
The Explore phase features activities, classroom discussions, and presentations that you can use to introduce your class to a subject.
During the Learn & Practice phase, students sign in to the AES learning system and work through self-paced, interactive lessons.
HealthCenter21 eLearning lessons feature videos, inline questions, drag-and-drop activities, decision-making scenarios, and other interactive learning experiences. Students can also fill out worksheets and guided notes as they work to help them better retain the content they’ll need for certification.
By presenting information in various ways, students stay engaged while forming real-life connections with the content. This helps improve understanding and cements the information in your students' long-term memory.
For the Reflect phase, you can lead your class with activities that help students review, discuss, and retain concepts within each module.
Finally, in the Reinforce phase, students complete self-directed activities and projects to enhance their understanding of the knowledge and skills they’ve learned.
Overall, HealthCenter21’s instructional format helps teachers easily implement a blended learning environment that encourages students to better understand and retain information.
To learn more, read: The HealthCenter21 Student Experience
2. How Do I Use Both Systems Together?
When using both iCEV and AES in your classrooms, it’s important to consider both systems' structures and the situations where one may be a better fit than the other. In this section, you’ll discover how the design of each system informs how you can use it in class.
How to Use AES & iCEV for In-Person Instruction
When using AES, the Learn & Practice phase is where the core instruction takes place. Here, students experience material through both teacher-led classroom instruction and digital lessons.
When incorporating iCEV alongside AES, the PowerPoints are a great place to start. Teachers can use them in conjunction with instructional videos to supply learning material for class.
If traditional lecturing suits your teaching style, standing up at the front of class and using an iCEV PowerPoint may be the right choice. This is because iCEV’s PowerPoints are generally more in-depth than AES’ PowerPoints. Ultimately, however, you should compare iCEV and AES PowerPoints to see which you prefer for a particular topic.
In addition, iCEV’s instructional videos can also be useful in class to demonstrate basic medical procedures and provide valuable insight from industry professionals. The procedure demonstrations can be particularly helpful for teachers looking to train students in important skills work.
These PowerPoints and videos can then be combined with in-class activities and projects from iCEV or AES to ensure students are applying their knowledge in a practical way.
How to Use Both Systems to Flip Your Classroom
If you want to flip your classroom or use a hybrid teaching model, assign AES’ eLearning lessons as independent work. Students can complete these lessons on their own as homework, leaving class time free for critical skills work or activities.
You can also assign students to watch iCEV’s instructional videos. One strategy might be to have students complete an AES eLearning lesson at home, then watch an iCEV interview with a healthcare professional or a video demonstrating a medical procedure. From there, they can come into class ready to discuss the content or practice procedures in person.
In addition, using both the AES eLearning lessons and iCEV videos together can be useful in helping you remediate students who have fallen behind in class. Instead of spending valuable class time helping them catch up, you can assign a combination of independent lessons and videos for these students to complete on their own time.
For additional ideas on teaching in a hybrid situation, read your AES Teacher’s Guide.
How to Incorporate Activities and Assessments from Both Systems
Both iCEV and AES provide a variety of activities and assessments for teachers to use in class. Start by browsing the activities, projects, and assessments both systems offer to see which ones appeal to you. With the right finagling, you can pick the best of both resources to engage and assess your kids.
One important point to remember is that only iCEV’s activities can be submitted for grades on the system. This means if you want to easily grade your students’ activities, you might favor using iCEV.
Another perk iCEV offers is the ability for most documents to be made visible to students, including project sheets and rubrics. This is different from AES, where fewer documents can be seen and downloaded by students.
Functionally, this means students can work more independently when completing activities and projects from the iCEV system. If they’re home sick, for instance, and need to play catch up, they will have access to all the materials they need to get started.
3. What Are Some Other Tips for Using AES and iCEV?
In addition to these more specific strategies, there are several general pieces of advice valuable for teachers looking to combine these systems in their classes:
See Where Both Systems Overlap
iCEV and AES cover similar course material, so you may find two lessons or units covering the same topic, one from iCEV and one from AES.
To avoid repeating the same content to students, go through the iCEV lesson plan for a particular topic, and then go through the AES lesson plan and transcript for the same topic.
This will help you to tell where the two systems overlap, and where one covers more content than the other. For example, the iCEV curriculum offers some courses that AES doesn’t, including Forensic Science and Counseling & Mental Health. By comparing both systems, you can uncover differences like these, which should help you choose which curriculum to go with.
Don’t Rush to Use Both Right Away
Some teachers might feel pressured to immediately begin using iCEV and AES alongside one another in the classroom, even if they’re unprepared to. This could be a mistake.
If you have experience with either iCEV or AES and it's serving your needs well, don’t rush to incorporate the other system simply because it’s there. Continue doing what you’re doing, and when you have some time, maybe sit down and go through the other curriculum to see if it has anything worth offering to your class.
After all, if the system you’re already using is working for you, why rush to add more content onto your plate?
Consider the Student Experience
Oftentimes, teachers get so excited about using their new course materials that they fail to account for how disorienting it can be for students.
After all, if your students are new to digital learning, it can be jarring enough for them to use just one curriculum system in the classroom. This effect can be worsened by adding another curriculum system into the mix.
For instance, if you have students use AES for one assignment, then switch over to iCEV for another, then switch back to AES for a third, you might confuse students, costing valuable classroom time.
To avoid this, try to consider the student experience before jumping into using both systems together.
Try AES and iCEV in Your Classroom
In this article, you’ve discovered some tips and tricks for using iCEV and AES together in your classroom. If you keep these strategies in mind, you should find it easier to navigate using both systems with your students.
And if you’re interested in trying both of these curriculum systems in your classroom, sign up for a free 30-day trial of iCEV!
The iCEV and AES curriculum systems together offer hundreds of hours of content you can use in your health science class, covering topics like Anatomy & Physiology, Health Science Foundations, and more!
