Finding a curriculum provider for your Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs can be a daunting task. Not only do you have to consider how each provider can impact your teachers and students, but you must also compare the costs, courses offered, and features provided.
As a passionate provider of CTE curriculum, educators often ask how iCEV compares to Cengage as a single-source solution.
In this article, you’ll discover key aspects of both curriculum providers, including:
- What curriculum topics each covers
- The educational purpose of each provider
- The instructional format of each provider
- The intended audience of each provider
- How much each curriculum provider cost
After the article, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge necessary to determine which of these providers is the better option for your school or district.
1. What Curriculum Topics Do Cengage and iCEV Cover?
Cengage Curriculum Topics
National Geographic Learning, a part of Cengage, publishes content developed by experienced Learning Designers. The curriculum includes activities and assessments that engage students, prepare them for success in their careers, and help students in their lifelong career journey, beginning in K–12.
National Geographic Learning covers five CTE subject areas:
- Business Education
- Computing
- Health Science
- Agriscience
- Technical Trades & Skills
For each subject, National Geographic Learning offers a suite of digital learning tools. These features simulate workplace experiences, offer study and annotation help, and allow students to articulate what they are learning and share their relevant work with future employers.
iCEV Curriculum Topics
iCEV is a provider of comprehensive CTE curriculum, educational resources, certification preparation, and industry certification testing for secondary and post-secondary institutions.
iCEV offers hundreds of courses covering 11 CTE subject areas:
- Agricultural Science
- Architecture, Construction & Manufacturing
- Business, Marketing, Finance, IT & Media
- Career Exploration
- Cosmetology & Barbering
- Family & Consumer Sciences
- Health Science
- Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
- Middle School Digital Literacy & Career Exploration
- Science, Technology, Engineering & Math
- Transportation: Automotive, Diesel & Small Engines
2. Which Certifications Do Cengage and iCEV Prepare Students For?
In addition to providing CTE curriculum, Cengage and iCEV prepare learners for industry certifications. Earning certifications can make a significant difference as students search for careers in their chosen fields.
In this section, you’ll find out more about certifications you can prepare students to earn using instructional materials from Cengage and iCEV.
Preparing Students for Certification with Cengage
Though Cengage does not host its own industry certifications, its National Geographic Learning curriculum is developed to prepare your students for success on certification exams. Cengage prep materials include hands-on lab simulations, timed pre-tests, and engaging activities.
National Geographic Learning prepares students for success on a variety of certifications exams, including:
- Microsoft Office Specialist Certifications
- Microsoft Office Expert Certifications
- Adobe Certified Associate Certifications
- Adobe Certified Professional Certifications
- CompTIA A+ Certification
- Network+ Certification
- Security+ Certification
- Linux+ Certufucatuib
- CySA+ Certification
- Cloud+ Certification
- ASE Certifications
- NATEF Certifications
- Residential Construction Academy Certifications
- American Welding Society SENSE Certification
- Clinical & Administrative Medical Assisting Certifications
- Certified Nursing Assistant Certification
- EKG Technician Certification
- Certified Dental Assisting Certification
- NCHSE National Health Science Certification
- Registered Health Information Administrator Certification
- Certified Professional Biller Certification
- Agriculture-AEST Certification
- Veterinary Assisting Certification
To earn these certifications, teachers and students will need to make arrangements with each individual certification provider.
Preparing Students for Certification with iCEV
Teachers can use iCEV to prepare students both for certifications hosted on the iCEV Testing Platform and for additional certifications not hosted on the platform.
The iCEV Testing Platform currently hosts 16 industry certifications:
- AMSA Culinary Meat Selection & Cookery certification
- AMSA Food Safety & Science certification
- AMSA Meat Evaluation certification
- BASF Plant Plant Science certification
- Benz School of Floral Design Principles of Floral Design certification
- Center for Financial Responsibility Personal Financial Literacy certification
- Ducks Unlimited Ecology Conservation & Management certification
- Elanco Fundamentals of Animals Science certification
- Elanco Veterinary Medical Applications certification
- EETC Principles of Small Engine Technology certification
- Express Employment Professionals Business Office Technology certification
- Express Employment Professionals Career Preparedness certification
- Home Builders Association of Alabama Residential Construction Skills certification
- NCLA Principles of Livestock Selection & Evaluation certification
- NHJTCA Equine Management & Evaluation certification
- Southwest Airlines Professional Communications certification
These certifications are developed and issued by industry leaders, reflect the needs of real-world career expectations, and distinguish individuals from their peers when applying for jobs.
In addition, the iCEV curriculum aligns with dozens of industry certifications not hosted on the iCEV Testing Platform, including:
- ASE Automotive certifications
- Microsoft Office Specialist Associate certifications
- Microsoft Office Specialist Expert certifications
- NCHSE National Health Science Assessment
- NHA's 8 Accredited Health Science certification exams
- NNAAP CNA Certification
- NOCTI Accounting Basic certification
- NOCTI Accounting Advanced certification
- NOCTI Criminal Justice certification
- NOCTI Early Childhood Education & Care - Basic certification
- NOCTI Early Childhood Education & Care - Advanced certification
- NOCTI Health Assisting certification
- NOCTI Medical Assisting certification
- NOCTI Hospitality Management - Lodging certification
- NOCTI Welding certification
- NOCTI General Management certification
- NOCTI Fundamentals of Construction certification
- NOCTI Diesel Technology certification
- NREMT Emergency Medical Responder Certification
- NREMT Emergency Medical Technician Certification
- Michigan Residential Builder 60-Hour Pre-Licensure
For each certification, you'll find alignment guides and a full certification prep material course playlist to ensure you cover everything your students need to know to for certification success.
This certification prep material is included as part of a curriculum subscription, so when you purchase a subject area, your students can use the content to prepare for industry certifications most relevant to your program.
3. What Is the Instructional Format of Cengage and iCEV?
What is the Cengage Instructional Format?
Cengage houses its National Geographic Learning curriculum on the MindTap platform. MindTap is an online learning experience that provides students with curriculum, tools, and resources to create a positive learning environment.
Features you’ll find within MindTap courses include:
- Interactive eBooks with notetaking, highlighting, and text-to-audio
- Rich interactivity and assessment uniquely designed for each course
- Differentiation through modified text and other features
- Downloadable eBooks for mobile devices and offline access
- A correlation tool to quickly locate content by standard
- Teacher grade books and analytics to enable real-time shifts in teaching
With these features, you and your students can find the tools and resources needed to master complex curriculum all in one place.
What Is the iCEV Instructional Format?
iCEV is a standards-aligned, comprehensive learning solution designed to provide structure for a course while offering flexibility and support for students and teachers during the learning process.
Materials you’ll find within iCEV courses include:
- Lesson plans with step-by-step guidance for instructors
- Standards-aligned task sheets that challenge students to put their knowledge and skills to the test through hands-on activities
- Media-rich video and presentation-based components designed to bring experts into your classroom and learning to life
- Projects and activities created to increase information retention.
- Lesson-specific vocabulary handouts
- Pre- and post-test features that allow you to access students’ knowledge before and after they engage with the content
With these resources, you’ll be able to create a successful and positive learning environment for all of your students.
4. Who Is the Intended Audience for Cengage and iCEV?
Who Is the Intended Audience for Cengage?
Cengage’s National Geographic Learning is a good resource for those looking for a comprehensive resource mainly focusing on their five subject areas.
Additionally, Cengage’s MindTap is a strong supplemental resource to implement alongside the curriculum. With features like simulations, projects, and activities, MindTap can take your curriculum to the next level. However, you should note that MindTap is not available for all courses offered by Cengage.
Teachers should also note that many of Cengage’s National Geographic Learning courses are printed textbooks. While textbooks serve as a great source of information, they often are quickly outdated and lack the interactive components that bring learning to life. This may leave you struggling to keep students engaged.
Who Is the Intended Audience for iCEV?
iCEV’s CTE curriculum could be a good fit if you’re looking for single-subscription access to all its comprehensive, standards-aligned CTE courses.
Whether you’re looking for a comprehensive curriculum for a multiple courses or an entire CTE program, an iCEV subscription gives you access to every course in the subject areas selected.
The CTE curriculum also features media-rich lessons, industry-aligned prep material, integrated career exploration, and class assignments with interactive activities and assessments.
However, if you’re looking for a single-course resource or supplemental materials, iCEV might not meet your needs.
5. How Much Do Cengage and iCEV Cost?
How Much Does National Geographic Learning from Cengage Cost?
Cengage offers a wide variety of pricing options for each of its products, as well as bundling options and campus-wide access.
Cengage hardcover and eTextbooks range from $25–$120 per book or access code. MindTap access ranges from $90–$400 per subscription for digital curriculum based on the chosen course.
Cengage also offers various bundle options, including an eTextbook and digital curriculum through MindTap and campus-wide access with flexible pricing options based on campus and classroom size and needs.
How Much Does iCEV Cost?
iCEV has a range of pricing, dependent on the number of subject areas, student licenses, and certification vouchers you need.
Pricing starts at $1,500, and you can request a quote for more accurate pricing information based on your program's needs.
Which CTE Curriculum Provider is Right For Me?
When on the hunt for the best CTE curriculum that meets the needs of both your teachers and students, it can be challenging to feel secure in your choice. From budget restrictions to instructional formats, there are many factors to consider when making such a big decision.
If you’re looking for comprehensive textbooks for a few specific subject areas that are coupled with an interactive digital resource, National Geographic Learning from Cengage could be the best option for you.
But if you’re looking for a single comprehensive curriculum solution for multiple CTE programs at your district, iCEV might be the better fit.
Whatever your choice, you’re well on your way to helping your students find success in the classroom, on certifications, and in their future careers.
If iCEV sounds like the best fit for your students and teachers, get started today with a live demo, where we'll discuss your needs and answer all of your questions so you can determine if iCEV is right for you.
