The Appification of Literacy

Abstract

Appification represents the rapid movement of digital tools and media from a Web-based platform to mobile apps. While appification makes the former Web-based tools and apps more accessible, and improves users' quality of life, it also undermines traditional literacy skills and practices associated with print literacies. After defining appification and presenting examples, the chapter explores how appification impacts literacy in the broader society and critiques how schools, via standards, are adapting to the broader appification. Apps and appification play a significant role in changing globally what is meant by literacy. Yet, in the US, schools and educational policy are not keeping up with the rapid transition. Although schools are increasingly embracing the idea of apps and portable devices like tablets, there is little systematic connection between using the new technologies in schools and improving literacy required to be proficient in the app-o-verse.