This blog post has been adapted from a previous blog post written by the founder of Sevenstar, Dr. R. Mark Beadle. 

Online education offers more than convenience—it’s an opportunity to help students grow in ways that matter for life after high school. Whether your child is college-bound, is ministry-minded, or is exploring unique interests, online courses can help them build essential skills for the journey ahead.

Here are ten areas where students grow as online learners:

Online Communication and Collaboration Skills

These are developed as your child interacts with their teacher and other students in courses through electronic means to successfully complete assignments, assessments, and threaded discussions. If your child is used to face-to-face communication, they will have to learn how to effectively communicate needs and emotions through electronic mediums including email, threaded discussions, phone, and video chat. Effective communication skills using electronic means are critical in all walks of life.

Critical Thinking Skills

As your child engages with course content outside of the traditional classroom setting, they will begin to develop strong critical thinking skills. Working in online courses from Sevenstar, your child will be called upon not only to weigh concepts in light of Scripture but also to formulate and communicate their personal thoughts and ideas. As your child strengthens their critical thinking skills, they become more grounded in who they are in Christ.

Independent Learning Skills

These skills are developed as your child engages with their online course. Your child can devise their own work schedule that allows them to consistently work in their online course towards successful completion of an online course by the end date you set by you as a parent. Meeting project deadlines demonstrates the responsibility that will help your child succeed in college and beyond.

“As your child strengthens their critical thinking skills, they become more grounded in who they are in Christ.”

Initiative, Self-Direction, and Motivation

Because your child has the freedom to engage with their online course on their terms, they are able to grow in the areas of initiative, self-direction, and motivation. Success as an online learner is a direct function of your child’s willingness to engage with the course content, which entails mapping out a “plan of attack” for completing the course successfully in the allotted time.

Problem Solving and Adaptability Skills

These skills are developed as your child works through technical difficulties that arise periodically with any online-oriented work. Learning how to be a successful online learner requires your child to adapt to a new way to learn. Independent learning inherently forces a student to problem solve and adapt in order to keep moving past challenging content and/or technical issues that can easily stall progress.

“Success as an online learner is a direct function of your child’s willingness to engage with the course content.”

Productivity and Accountability

Productivity and accountability are developed as your child strives to consistently progress through their course to avoid penalties for late work. The nice thing about your child learning how to be a successful online learner while under your roof in middle or high school is that you can still oversee their growth. You are able to hold them accountable for developing productive habits as an independent learner. Parents and online teachers have a front-row seat; they will clearly know when it makes sense to intervene and be a catalyst that spurs the student on in developing a strong work ethic as an online learner.

Resourcefulness

Your child will gain the skill of resourcefulness when they are called upon to gather materials required to successfully complete assignments and labs. Your child will also have to adjust plans to stay on track, or get back on track, to complete their course on time. They will also be challenged to create new content as they progress in their online course.

Technology Proficiency

This skill is developed as your child must learn how to effectively operate a wide variety of technologies such as: learning management systems; student information systems; networks and Wi-Fi; word processors; spreadsheets; video chat; web browsers. Successfully operating and navigating such technologies is a skill required in all walks of life.

Time Management

Time management is extremely important in online learning, and this skill is developed as your child strives to stay on track towards successful completion by the online course deadline. Working in online courses from Sevenstar, your child will learn how a large project (such as in a two-semester course) is broken down into a schedule of sub-projects (assignments) with target due dates. Your child will have to plan for time off from the course by either working ahead or feverishly working after the break to catch up. They will be learning the real-world time management strategies that are required to succeed in life.

Global Classroom Participation

This skill benefits your child as they get to hear ideas from other students around the world who are in the same section of the online course., they can build relationships and discuss important topics with other Christian students working in Sevenstar online courses all over the world. For example, how would you like your child to hear the realities of following Christ from missionary kids who are in their online US History course? Participating in a secure, global classroom with Christian students from around the world can help your child’s view of the kingdom of God grow beyond your community. 

“Participating in a secure, global classroom with Christian students from around the world can help your child’s view of the kingdom of God grow beyond your community.”

Online learning isn’t just about completing coursework—it’s about developing habits and skills that will serve your student for years to come. Whether your child is preparing for high school, for college, or for a calling beyond the classroom, the flexibility and the intentional structure of Sevenstar’s online courses can help them grow in both competence and character. The earlier they begin building these lifelong skills, the more prepared they’ll be for whatever God has planned for them next.