Relatedness in the online learning environment

Traditional instructional methods of delivery are waning as online education steadily rises to the forefront as the preferred delivery for students striving to access higher education. While there is a wealth of empirical evidence to support strategies that foster students’ autonomy and competence in both the traditional and online learning setting, the availability of varied, research-based relatedness support appropriate for the online learning environment is lacking. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to review the literature applying Self-Determination Theory to online instructional settings to understand relatedness, its educational impacts on students, and associated support strategies.