Novel approaches to refresher courses in basic mathematics

The poor core mathematical skills of many students entering a wide range of further and higher education programmes continue to be a cause for concern for numerous mathematics educators. Some universities have responded by offering short "refresher courses" in basic mathematics to incoming first-year students in service-taught mathematics modules. However traditional approaches to teaching these basic skills may simply echo students’ previous unsuccessful attempts to grasp these concepts. By introducing the material in a different way students may be more engaged with the learning process hopefully improving their ability to understand and retain the information involved.