The purpose of this study was to evaluate three instructional methods, seminar, traditional, and web-based, used in the teaching of freshmen orientation at a mid-size community college in San Antonio, Texas. The study examined each instructional method in relation to retention, hours completed, and grade point averages, and compared the outcomes with first-year freshmen not participating in orientation.;Three years of data, fall 1999 to spring 2002, were collected on first-time in college freshmen. Students enrolled in the fall were tracked through the end of the subsequent spring semester. Student data were aggregated as fall and spring data. The total number of first-time in college freshmen participating in the study was 2827.;It was concluded that students completing a one credit hour orientation by seminar and traditional method were retained through the end of the spring semester at a higher rate than students not taking orientation. Students in web-based orientation were retained at higher percentage rates than students not taking orientation, however the results were not significant. Orientation students completed more credit hours and had higher grade point averages at the end of the fall semester than students not taking orientation. The results were statistically significant for all three instructional methods for both hours completed and grade point average. Seminar and traditional orientation students continuing through the spring showed more hours completed than students not taking orientation. The results were statistically significant. Students taking the web-based orientation completed more hours, but the difference in hours were not statistically significant. Grade point averages for orientation students continuing through the spring were higher for all three instructional methods when compared with students not taking orientation, however the differences were not statistically significant. Only web-based orientation students showed grade point averages that were statistically different than students not taking orientation.;This study indicates first-year freshmen students achieve academic success as determined by retention, hours completed, and grade point average when completing a one credit hour orientation course, regardless of instructional method. Future studies need to examine the decrease in academic success by some instructional methods for students continuing in the spring.
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