"Undergraduates need to understan d the basic cultural, social, legal, and ethical issues inherent in the discipli ne of computing. They should understand where the discipline has been, where it is, and where it is heading. They should understand their individual roles in this process, as well as appreciate the philosophical questions, technical probl ems, and aesthetic values that play an important part in the development of the discipline. \005 Students also need to develop the ability to ask serious questi ons about social impact and to evaluate proposed answers to those questions. Wi ll [a new] product enhance or degrade the quality of life? What will the impact be upon individuals, groups, and institutions? [1, p.11]"

"...students need to be encouraged to formulate definitions of socia l responsibility, to compare their definition with those of others, and to begin incorporating social responsibility into their future employment plans. Educat ion should empower students so that they may shape the future of technology, not merely react to it [13, p. 19]."

The field of computer science has advanced rapidly in the last 25 years, and this advance necessitates the continual revision of both the curriculum and the pedagogy needed to teach an evolving discipline. One fundamental change in computer science in the last decade has been the realization that the ethical and social context in which computer technology is produced and used must be taken into account in both its design and implementation. This is not only because there are inevitably ethical and social implications to be considered, but also because understanding the context has usually enhanced the technical design[9, 14, 20]. The recognition of the social, ethical and professional context of computer science was included as one of the foundational principles in Computing Curricula 1991[1, 23], and has been a part of the curriculum accreditation standards for almost a decade [1, 6].

Experts in the field of computer ethics and social impact have stated that there is a significant difference between being made aware of ethical and social impact issues as a student and becoming a socially responsible, ethical professional[7, 10, 13]. The problem facing any formal curriculum that leads to an entry degree into a profession is how to provide educational experiences to bridge that gap without using some form of indoctrination. In this report we propose a process for a staged progression of educational experiences based upon knowledge units[19] and placed throughout the entire CS curriculum. We believe this integrated progression of material and experiences will lead students through the stages of awareness of the issues, to evaluation and decision-making, and finally to responsible action[26].