My EDCI 531 Final Project contains ample evidence of in-text citations and a reference list, both of which exhibit adherence to a code of ethics. By properly citing my sources, I follow procedures to give credit to the original sources from which I found the information, an example of ethical practices that apply to the field of Learning Design and Technology. 

There will be constraints and structures to follow carefully in academic and professional settings to avoid ethical, legal, and political implications. Citing sources is one of many examples. In an educational environment, students encounter frequent situations where they read sources and synthesize information formally (projects and papers) and informally (discussion posts). Inherent to the learning process is seeking information from experts; therefore, students must credit the source of their knowledge. Similar to academia, in the LDT field, professionals need to work with subject matter experts and conduct research to develop curricula. This information comes from someone, so it must be documented from where it came. For example, when conducting research for the EDCI 531 final project, I read through several papers to explore my topic, metacognition, and self-regulation in remote work settings. Whether summarizing, paraphrasing or directly quoting, I made sure to cite the source parenthetically or at the beginning of the sentences. At the end of the paper, I included all sources that I used in a reference list for a total of nine sources. This practice is expected in academia and a professional context. Regardless of the situation, not including these essential citations and reference lists would have severe consequences at the individual and organizational levels. 

As an English teacher, I taught students about plagiarism and various styles of citations my entire career. Regardless of this experience, I was deeply humbled by the plagiarism certification test and learned many of the nuances of citations. As a result, I was more aware of citations that required specific page numbers when I knew the exact location of the information from that source. As a teacher, I incorporated this detail into my instruction so that students better understand this rule. As a designer, while creating learning objects that use information from research, I will pay better attention to these citation details to adequately give credit where it is due. 

Although I had prior knowledge of these concepts, the plagiarism course and my implementation of proper citations in this subsequent assignment allowed me to hone my skills. I will continue meticulously adhering to the APA formats for future projects and career endeavors, even if it means bookmarking the OWL on Purdue’s website for reference.