Online Learning for Students with Learning Disabilities and Their Typical Peers: The Association between Basic Psychological Needs and Outcomes

For some students, online learning, particularly as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic, can have negative implications for self-efficacy, fatigue, and burnout. One way to combat these negative outcomes is for institutions to support students’ basic psychological needs (BPNs) of autonomy, relatedness, and competence. However, online learning may also frustrate students’ BPNs, particularly if they have a learning disability (LD). The purpose of the current study was to investigate the satisfaction and frustration of BPNs in relation to self-efficacy, fatigue, and burnout for students with and without LD. We surveyed postsecondary students about their courses online and examined differences between students with LD and their typical peers. We also examined BPN satisfaction and frustration as predictors of self-efficacy, fatigue, and burnout. Recommendations are provided from a universal design for learning perspective. Moreover, limitations and future research directions are discussed.