Instructor and Student Reactions to "A Radical Approach" to Instructing a Large Undergraduate Classical Mythology Lecture Course

This study applies S. Douglas Olson’s pedagogical methodology to a specific subject: classical mythology, a course taught at universities and colleges across the country. Olson’s innovations, while originally built around a classical civilization course, are easily adaptable to this topic and engage students in the material through primary source research, writing assignments and oral presentations without overworking the instructor or teaching assistants or overburdening students. The result was a more enjoyable classroom experience that encouraged interaction among students with a wide variety of backgrounds and interests, while allowing the instructor to focus on the needs of the students rather than excessive grading.