ELR-047 Ethics Case Study Challenger Disaster: 3 PDH

Description of the Ethics Case Study Challenger Disaster course

The Ethics Case Study Challenger Disaster online PDH course is a part of the Ethics, Laws and Rules category of courses.

This course provides instruction in engineering ethics through a case study of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.  The minimum technical details needed to understand the physical cause of the Shuttle failure are given.  The disaster itself is chronicled through NASA photographs.  Next the decision-making process—especially the discussions occurring during the teleconference held on the evening before the launch—is described.  Direct quotations from engineers interviewed after the disaster are used to illustrate the ambiguities of the data and the pressures that the decision-makers faced in the months and hours preceding the launch.  The course culminates in an extended treatment of six ethical issues raised by Challenger.

This course is intended for all engineers land surveyors and architects interested to gain a deeper understanding of the concept of negligence in engineering practice.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Identify two common errors in studying the history of an engineering failure: the retrospective fallacy and the myth of perfect engineering practice
• Describe the shuttle hardware involved in the disaster
• Name the decisions made in the period preceding the launch
• Describe the ethical issue of NASA giving first priority to public safety over concerns such as fear of losing Congressional funding
• Explain who had the right to Thiokol documents relating to the disaster
• Define whistle blowing
• Define informed consent
• Define ownership of company records
• Describe how the public perceives that an engineering decision involves an ethical violation

Refunds and Cancellation Policies

The course is accepted by the Professional Engineering boards in states listed on this page. In an unlikely case the course is not accepted by the board listed on this page, we will refund the full payment and will pay for you to take another course of equivalent monetary and PDH / CEU value. For complete list of courses related to Ethics, Laws and Rules category of courses please click here.

Length of the Course / Activity

This course is intended to be studied at self-pace and it should take on average of 3 hour to read and be able to comprehend the material to successfully past the online quiz

Course Quiz

To receive the certificate of completion for the above 3 PDH online course, you will need to take a 15 question multiple choice quiz based on the reference material supplied and pass with minimum score of 70%. There is no time limit for the quiz and it can be taken multiple times until a passing score of 70% is achieved

Certificate of Completion

Once you achieve a passing score of 70% on the quiz you will receive and be able to print your Certificate of Completion as a record of your continuing education. PDH Star will keep a record of your certificate for the duration as required by your state of licensure. You will be able to log on to your account and view and print your past Certificate of Completion

State Acceptance

This course is accepted in all states mandating continuing education:

AK, AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, and WY

For detailed state by state requirements click here

Need help?

Do you need help choosing the right course or package for you? Please give us a call or send us an email and we will be happy to provide guidance on which courses are most relevant for you and create a customary course package