Chapter 1 offers an in-depth, historically based discussion of the research on emoji and on matters of general concern regarding this unique type of visual character, along with a rationale for the need for a comprehensive treatment of emoji in education. The authors describe the reasons for focusing on higher education, particularly health professional education. They begin by examining the background work on emoji theory and research and offer initial insights into the discourse and semiotic functions of the emoji code. Such functions form the basis for considering the emoji code as a teaching tool that may be used to craft hybrid literacy-focused instruction (textual and visual). The discursive and recursive properties of emoji form the basis of semioliteracy, a theory that one of the authors (Petcoff) contends offers a basis for emoji use in developmental reading and writing and across several higher education academic fields. Specifically, the chapter addresses the potential use of emoji as a literacy instruction tool in both higher education and healthcare professional education.

As perhaps the most comprehensive review of non-finiteness so far, Chapter 2 starts by reviewing the mentions of non-finiteness in the early history of English grammar writing (from 1785), then it digs into the studies of non-finiteness in the following theories: morphology-based traditional grammar, typological perspective, form-based generative grammar, meaning-based cognitive grammar, meaning- and form-based systemic functional grammar, semiotic grammar, role and reference grammar, functional discourse grammar, construction grammar and other approaches. A summary of the enlightening views is provided at the end of the chapter.