Developing a communication module on copyright for Canadian engineering students

In 2010, the topics of intellectual property, copyright, and professional integrity were introduced into a second-year course on technical communication. In 2011-12 a separate module was developed with the purpose to raise students´ awareness of the copyright discourse and develop their research and critical thinking skills through the exploration of related ethical issues. The paper tracks the evolution of the module in response to recent changes in copyright legislation. The theoretical framework employs composition theory, activity theory and critical pedagogy, whereas the methodology involves emancipatory action research and critical discourse analysis of data drawn from observation, interviewing, pedagogical reflection, and a study of a broad range of multimodal texts and contexts. Learning to engage in a meaningful dialogue about copyright has a positive impact on students´ understanding of their future professional identity. Students are empowered to move from course-related issues to the exploration of ethical implications of professional communication.