Is there an app for that? A review of mobile apps for information literacy classes

Abstract

Our learners are as varied as the techniques we employ in information literacy classes. There is, however, one facet common to almost all of them, and it’s technology use. Let’s look at some recent numbers from the Pew Research Center. In the 18 to 29 age group, 94% of Americans own a smartphone, that number drops to just to 89% for ages 30 to 49.1 Tablets are also common, with 64% of Gen Xers and 54% of Millennials owning tablets.2 Spending time online also cuts across generations. In a March 2018 study, Pew reported that 77% of Americans go online daily, with 26% of that group stating that they are “almost constantly” online, and 43% noting that they go online several times a day.3