The Rezzara Institute organises courses for adults and elderly people. Besides the cultural improvement and an active presence in the social context, the main aims of the Institute are:

• Research (Surveys on a national level on social topics e.g. Immigration, retirement and related problems, isolation and solitude of the elderly, EU and the new countries applying to be included in it);
• Social needs analysis;
• Reporting results to the press, the media in general, and local, regional, and national authorities.

Concerning the education level of senior students, courses are open to people with any cultural background. Each course may be composed of mixed-ability students, based on their different education, consequently, suitable teaching skills for an almost individually-tailored tuition are necessary in order to achieve satisfactory results. For very motivated students, advanced courses are also provided.
One of the projects of the Institute aims at teaching how to use a computer, and is based on the following scheme:

• Theoretical introduction to the world of computers, with hints of the historical background of the PC and the Internet;
• Using a word processor;
• Using the Internet;
• Tutors' training within the framework of the EuCoNet project.

When planning computer courses for adults and elderly people, it is important to take into account some general considerations concerning the type of students to whom they are addressed.

Indeed, the elderly are usually afraid of the new technologies, and having received an education based on a rationale approach, they refuse hands-on training. Before they can actively work with the computer, they first expect a strategic overview of the procedure. Last but not least, they are ill-at-ease and are reluctant when they deal with the hardware. The theoretical introduction focuses on the different components of a personal computer, that is the hardware and the software.

The hardware section involves the Personal Computer: it is useful to explain that it is composed of Central Processing Unit, Random Access Memory (RAM) with a given capability, and the attached peripherals, and to give appropriate observations. The use of peripherals (mouse, keyboard, printer, scanner, modem, mass storage readers) is also an essential topic in the introductory part.

With reference to peripherals, it is worth considering a few aspects linked with the use of the mouse:

• At first, the elderly find it difficult to use the mouse, therefore specific exercise sessions must be developed in order to make its use smooth and precise;
• Using the mouse to execute specific commands involves an understanding of the metaphor of "Icon" ;
• It is a good thing to point out that some commands can be executed more quickly using the keyboard, although this might be a matter of individual preference.

Examples of exercises to learn how to use the mouse could be the following ones (Windows environment):

1. From the "Control Panel", open the window "Mouse - Properties" and in the "Buttons" part exercise the single and double "click", which allows the students to acquire the correct finger sensibility.
2. Use the application "Paint" to draw with the tool "Airbrush" the student's name;
3. Use the application "Paint", and try to follow some drawn lines (the picture is prepared by the teacher) with the tool "Airbrush".

With regards to the Software, it is fundamental to explain the difference between software and software package, as well as the concept of "File" by means of relevant examples, and to enable the students to distinguish the different types of files. The first step is to help them understand the function of the desktop together with the icons scattered on it. The next step, which is the most important in this phase, is the management of files using the command "Search for files".

The basic elements of Windows which are taught are the following:

• Desktop, Icon and Window;
• Opening and closing an application;
• Organisation of the files with "Explorer";
• Opening, modifying, saving and closing a file;
• Setting the properties of the printer, mouse, scanner and modem.

This is the most delicate and difficult part for a senior citizen, and often requires a lot of time and patience, above all in the files organisation.
Within the section on application software, the main aim of learning how to use a word pro-cessor, in the initial phase, is to produce a simple text in order to properly write a letter or an e-mail message, and the main procedures that are taught are:

• Opening, saving, closing a program;
• Using the keyboard;
• Meaning of: "word", "line", "paragraph", "section";
• Selecting and modifying;
• Simple character and paragraph formatting.

Finally, the Internet section focuses on:

• Sending and receiving e-mail messages;
• Using a search engine by a key-word;
• Using a search engine by an "instruction repertoire";
• Files downloading.

Within the framework of the Euconet project, the formation of the tutors is realised in the three following stages: Identifying students with good computer knowledge; Making the most of these talented people by promoting peer learning in order to help students with difficulties; Attendance of an in-depth course focusing on contents and teaching strategies according to the requirements of P.N.I. (National Computer Studies Project promoted by the Mini-stry of Education).