Review:
This package is actually a set of three videos plus several hundred pages
of supporting documentation.
The Challenger disaster is not specifically a computer failure, but
I have used the materials at least a dozen times in my
``Ethics and Computing'' classes.
It is great for starting discussions related to whistle-blowing,
decision-making in safety-critical systems, and related topics.
In my experience, it has real impact on the students.
Overall, this is a excellent package, and I highly recommend it.
The first video is titled ``An accident rooted in history'', the second is titled ``The flawed decision'', and the third is titled ``Disaster, deception and disclosure''. The videos are a mixture of news footage, interviews with principals in the story, narrative explanation of documents and decisions and a occasional interpretation/comment by the director Mark Maier.
The first video opens with a summary of the disaster, but concentrates on documenting the history of the shuttle program. Viewers learn that the shuttle was eventually ``sold'' to the congress and the public as a money-making venture. However, there was a great disparity between the original projected frequency of flights and that actually experienced. Politics is introduced as a factor: one shuttle mission did an extra orbit around the earth before landing, in order to allow for the President to be on-site when the shuttle landed. Viewers also learn that the problem with the sealing of O-ring joints in the booster rockets was long known inside NASA and Morton-Thiokol. Viewers meet both Roger Boisjoly and Roger Cook, two primary whistle-blowers in this disaster, who are seen again many times in the videos.
The second video brings up the ``teacher in space'' factor and the factor of the timing of the President's ``state of the union'' address, outlines the launch decision-making process and then concentrates on the evening telephone meeting in which Morton-Thiokol eventually reversed their initial decision against launching. The pressure by NASA managers to get a recommendation for launch is made clear. There are too many great moments for thought here to mention them all. At one point in the meeting, only the four Morton-Thiokol vice presidents are polled for a vote, because ``we had already determined that there would not be a unanimous vote'' if it was done otherwise. One young engineer reflects that he had wondered, when he realized a vote would be taken, if he would have the courage to vote his convictions. When he isn't asked for his vote, he feels relieved of his responsibility to say anything. And there is the infamous quote to ``take off your engineering hat and put on your management hat.''
The third video delves into the attempts at covering up the cause of the disaster, the whistle-blowing and the aftermath. Again, there are too many excellent moments to mention them all. There is the Morton-Thiokol lawyers telling the employees to answer questions with a simple yes or no, and to volunteer nothing. (Think of the oath -- ``Do you swear to to the truth, the whole truth ....) There is Boisjoly asking if that meant he shouldn't repeat the ``take off your engineering hat and put on your management hat'' quote. There are clips of NASA managers dissembling in front of the Presidential commission that are almost painful to watch. There are good interview clips with Boisjoly and Cook, especially where Cook explains his motivations for his actions at various points. At one point, Cook relates that he made sure he hard a firm job offer before going forward! All this material is very powerful, and a great vehicle for discussing whistle blowing.
Cook makes an argument that the decision to launch Challenger was made by the President and that this was covered up. It is conceivable that someone at the White House pressed for a launch decision, but convincing first-hand evidence for the President's personal involvement is lacking. Even so, the allegation makes a good topic for discussion of external influence on decision-making. At the end of the third video, there is a summary clip from Maier that I do not entirely agree with, but even that can be used to provide a good discussion topic.
The supporting documentation includes readings, a facilitator's guide, a summary chronology, overviews and instructional supplements, a copy of the President's Commission report and additional materials. Obviously, some of this material is very valuable in using the video in teaching. You will want to go through some of this material yourself before using the videos in class, in order to be more familiar with various details.
Video Format/Length:
The first video, ``An accident rooted in history'', is 42 minutes long.
The second, ``The flawed decision'', is 50 minutes long.
The third, ``Disaster, deception and disclosure'', is 60 minutes long.
Ordering Information:
Several years ago, I obtained an early version of this
package $295 plus $15 shipping and handling.
The current version is listed at $395 plus $25 shipping and handling for
educational institutions for classroom use.
This is maybe a little bit pricey, but it is three videos plus supporting materials,
and this is excellent coverage of a major incident.
The contact address is: