In addition to a multitude of popular gaming apps like “Angry Birds,” “Fruit Ninja,” and “Plants v. Zombies,” there are many educational apps for students to use.  Perhaps students are using the “NASA App” to get mission information or track the International Space Station; maybe students are using the British Library’s “Treasures” app to view high definition images of an original Magna Carta from 1215, the Lindisfarne Gospels, the Beowulf manuscript, or any number of other works; they might be using “Virtual history – ROMA” to visually explore ancient Rome.  Whatever educational app students use, the question is how to cite the app.

This is where citing becomes tricky – technological advances often outpaces changes in bibliographic manuals.  An app is not necessarily an e-book and it’s definitely not a website; while there are videos and/or photos in an app, it wouldn’t be correct to cite them as a video or image without including the app that provided access to them.

Until APA, MLA, and Chicago/Turabian establish citation rules for apps, the best solution is to cite apps as computer software.  By citing apps as computer software, all information that would allow someone to find the information themselves is included: app name, app developer, version, date, and link to where the app can be downloaded.  Always consult your professor when you need to cite nontraditional sources such as apps in case they have concerns or suggestions.

Here are examples for citing apps in each of the style guides:

APA Style

Rightsholder, A. A. (year). Title of Software or Program (Version number) [Description of form]. Available

from http://xxxxx

NASA Ames Research Center. (2009). NASA App. (Version 1.44) [Mobile application software]. Available from

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-elements-a-visual-exploration/id364147847?mt=8

MLA Style

Rightsholder Last Name, First. Title of app. Computer Software. Title of website where app was

downloaded. Version number. Publisher/Developer, Date available. Web. Date accessed. URL to

download app.

Gray, Theodore. The Elements: A Visual Exploration. Computer Software. Apple App Store. Vers. 1.0.2.1.

Touch Press, 2010. 13 Mar. 2012.

**Note: Sometimes it’s necessary to do some sleuthing to find out the developer.  In this this example, the developer Touch Press was not mentioned in the app’s listing at the Apple App Store.  Do the best you can to provide a complete and accurate citation.

Chicago/Turabian Style - Endnotes

Rightsholder Last Name, First. Title of app. Computer Software. Version number. Title of website where

app was downloaded. Date available. Accessed date. URL to download app.

Toura LLC. British Library: Treasures HD. Computer software. Version 3.1. Apple App Store. 2010. Accessed

March 13, 2012. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/british-library-treasures-hd/id412352817?mt=8.

Chicago/Turabian Style - Footnotes

1.    First Name Last Name of Rightsholder, Title of App, computer software, publication date, URL to download app.

1.    Toura LLC, British Library: Treasures HD, computer software, 2010, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/british-library-treasures-hd/id412352817?mt=8.

Several resources were consulted for the writing of this post:

• Hans Mundahl’s blog post “7 Tips for Citing an App in MLA Format.”
• OWL Purdue’s “General Model for Citing Web Sources in Chicago Style“
• Alverno Library’s Wiki for Citing Resources “Citing Mobile Apps in APA Style“

Often we find ourselves reading about a new technology and saying, “That’s so neat!”  Then we wonder, “How could I actually use that technology in a meaningful way?”

Using technology to add value to teaching is one of the aims of Teaching With the Tools Kids Really Use by Susan Brooks-Young.  However, she cautions educators against “simply automat[ing] traditional activities,” maintaining that doing so fails to challenge students to “dig more deeply” (p. 9).

The book consists of three sections: Mobile Technologies, Web 2.0 Tools, and Digital Citizenship and Decision-Making Model.  The chapters that focus on specific technologies such as cell phones, social networks, and gaming follow this format:

• An introduction to the technology,
• Common objections to their use in the classroom,
• Changing viewpoints,
• Strategies for classroom use,
• Practical suggestions,
• Discussion points,
• and References.

The sections on “strategies for classroom use” and “practical suggestions” are probably of most use to librarians and staff.  An example is having students use the virtual world Second Life to “construct virtual environments that reflect books they are reading or societies they are studying” (p. 65).

The final chapter entitled Decision-Making and Implementation Model outlines the planning process for educators to incorporate new technologies.  The 6 steps are presented in the format of worksheets that you can copy from the book and fill-out to clarify the issues, lay the groundwork, own the decision, determine the next steps and individual action steps, and evaluation.

PROS: Quick, easy read; conversational tone; practical information and examples; decision-making and implementation model to walk you through the thought process

CONS: Could be more detailed; focuses on primary and secondary education, not higher education

This is a good introductory book on technology that students often use along with suggestions for incorporating technology into classroom use.

When we design materials for our users, we want materials to not only be helpful, but accessible by the largest number of individuals in a variety of ways.  It isn’t necessarily easy or feasible to determine the types of technology owned, usage rates, or what students want.  The ECAR National Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology can provide a broad understanding of these habits and behaviors for librarians.

The EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research has conducted an annual study of undergraduate students since 2004.  The study aims to understand:

• the types of technology students own,
• how they use it in their academic and personal lives,
• how skilled students believe they are with various technologies, and
• how they perceive technology is affecting their learning experience.

The 2011 study differs from the studies done in previous years as the questionnaire was redesigned and responses obtained from a nationally representative sample.

Some findings of the report:

• Students wish instructors would make more use of technologies like course management systems, web-based videos, podcasts and webcasts, tagging/bookmarking/liking, and simulations or educational games (p. 18)
• Although students own many kinds of technology, there is a clear preference for small and mobile devices (p. 7)
• A small number of students own a netbook (11%), iPad (8%), or other tablet (2%), but of those that do, they are highly likely to use them for academics (p. 7)
• Students at two year schools differ from other undergraduates in technology ownership and preferences (p. 9)
• 33% students “strongly agree” that technology makes learning more engaging and relevant (p. 10-11)
• 73% students use a course or learning management system (p. 14)
• 37% students use a Smartphone as an academic tool; 24% used their Smartphone to access library resources (p. 14-15)
• Students are not confident in core software skills like course management systems (32%) and library websites (27%) (p. 20)
• Students desire more specialized skills such as geotagging (40%), video creation software (37%), web-based citation tools (23%), and simulations or education games (20%) (p. 20)
• Students feel that instructors do not effectively use personal technologies like e-Readers, tablets, and Smartphones (p. 24)

How are these findings helpful to academic librarians?  For starters, it is imperative to understand your users and the types of technology they use.  The ECAR Study found that students at two-year institutions are more likely to own stationary technology like desktop computers and prefer the Windows platform.  Not as many students would benefit from resources directed at mobile versus stationary technologies.

Libraries at four-year institutions should produce resources (tutorials, webpages, etc.) that are easily accessed on small, mobile devices.  It’s important that materials are easy to use, quick to load, and do not require Flash since most devices don’t support it.

Given the prevalence of course management systems in academic institutions, libraries need to have a strong presence.  It’s not enough to list tips or link to other resources; use videos and graphics to illustrate your objectives.  Students increasingly desire interactive and engaging experiences, although it can be difficult to achieve this in a cost and time effective manner.  Maybe there’s a required tutorial or tour within the course management system or a game like Bibliolouts.  It all depends on the type of institution and needs of its users.

Large academic libraries might consider developing apps for mobile technologies.  Urbana-Champaign has apps for users to tour its Undergraduate Library and to discover new books.  North Carolina State University and Oregon State University have apps that use geolocation and geotagging which show archived historical photographs for campus locations.

These are just a few ways in which the ECAR National Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology can be helpful to academic librarians.

Check out our “Resources” page to view citations and links.