Globalizing technical communication research through digital mapping

Abstract

This poster explores the concept of cultural dislocation that students experience in working in new, unfamiliar cultures. Detailing the results of a case study following a study abroad course in Dundee, Scotland, I offer a method for focusing on location as an important aspect of writing in global contexts. Using mobile tools and mapping software to place student research practices in the context of their locations, this method offers a way for technical communication instructors to highlight research as implicitly tied to the locations and cultures where work happens.