What is 21st Century Learning, 21st Century Skills, 21st Century Capacities

Text messaging has become a standard form of communication between students. However, how texting can be used in higher education as a pedagogical practice has not been fully explored or articulated. This chapter provides critical insight into the value of text messaging as formal and informal communication both between faculty and students and also messaging led by students. Juxtaposing literature on the use of texting in educational environments with practical examples of university teaching in the United States and post-Soviet Kazakhstan, the chapter outlines challenges, benefits, and suggested methods of texting with students in higher education. Framed within concepts of 21st-century learning, multilingualism, and multiliteracies, the author suggests clear benefits for utilizing technology that students commonly use, while also creating an environment valuing students' changing modes of communication which puts less pressure on the traditional academic discussion, and gives a voice to the individual.