Ethical Responsibilities of Instructional Design and Technology Discipline

Background and Aim: Generally, where learning and teaching concerns,   instructional technology’s presence had been certain. Instructional technology by having the standards and components of a profession needs ethics. Therefore, as a professional, an instructional technologist has to yield to ethical criteria, knowledge, standards, and appreciate ethical responsibilities in order to succeed. To recognize the ethical responsibilities in any profession, its stakeholders should be identified first. Method: This research thoroughly analyzes and goes over the main points of definitions of instructional technology, and explains the educational technology as a profession. The existence of the term “ethics” in the definition of the field, and studying instructional technology as a profession is an entrance into a professional discipline and articulating its code of ethics.  Result:  Findings reveals that in Instructional Design Technology discipline,  the change in the definition, modifys the functions and responsibilities of professionals in the field. Hence, the field encompasses five separate activities, yet these interaction closely with one another.  These activities are:  application, development, management, design, and evaluation.  Technologists may be involved in one or more of the aforementioned activities, but what is of most value is the ethics in all of them. Conclusion:  It may be concluded that  Instructional Technology enjoys  professional ethics. So, it should be categorized as a profession withholding rights and ethical responsibility. Stakeholders in this field have dual responsibilities, due to its inherent nature of  face-to-face  and virtual learning activities.