And, without a strong emphasis on professional development, designers will no doubt become stagnate, regurgitating old methods and models based on what they have experience in, not what current research suggests is best suited for their clients.

 

For the field of HPT, the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) has created the CPT code of ethics which outlines what is to be expected of ethical practitioners in the field.  It includes 6 components which also address the issue of professional development:

 

• To add value for clients, their customers, and the global environment.

• To promote and use validated strategies and standards that align with theory, research, and practice knowledge.

• To work collaboratively with clients and to be trustworthy.

• To continually improve one’s proficiency in the field of HPT.

• To practice integrity by being honest and truthful.

• To maintain client confidentiality and avoid conflicts of interest.

      (Pershing 2006)

 

Finally, for the field of IT, a similar code of ethics exists.  The Association for Educational Communications and Technology first adopted their code of ethics in 1974 and adherence to the code became one of the conditions for membership to the organization in 1984.  In 2007, a more modern version of the code was approved which is broken into three sections, each with multiple subsections (the entire code can be viewed here):

 

• Commitment to the individual

• Commitment to society

• Commitment to the profession 

      (AECT.org)