Free Inquiry #4 What Might Be Needed for Safe Expression in Online Learning?
1. Revisiting My New Guiding Question
In my previous post, I introduced a new guiding question:
What might be the missing pieces that help learners feel safe enough to express unpopular or different opinions in online learning settings?
In this post, I want to explore a few possibilities.
2. Possible Missing Pieces
2-1. Trust
When I communicate with close friends I trust, I can express disagreement or different opinions much more comfortably. Even if we don’t agree, I know they won’t attack me or reject me. That sense of safety comes from trust that developed over time. According to the article(Nguyen, 2018), echo chambers are sustained not only by shared beliefs, but by relationships of trust. In groups where trust is absent, people tend to reject or push away opposing viewpoints. Disagreement is treated as a threat rather than a contribution, which makes it extremely difficult for members to express alternative perspectives.
If learners do not trust each other, then sharing an unpopular opinion feels risky. That means building trust may be a necessary condition before honest expression can happen in online learning communities.
2-2. Boundary for a Respectful Environment
From my perspective, active and meaningful discussion can only happen when there are shared boundaries for how we communicate. It is not about “you can say anything”, but rather about how we express our ideas. When disrespectful comments, insults, and personal attacks are not allowed, disagreement becomes much less scary. Even if opinions collide, the interaction still feels safe because the conflict stays within the boundary of respect. These kinds of norms make it possible to experience safe disagreement, which I think is the core of psychological safety in group discussions.
According to the article on PositivePsychology.com, setting boundaries plays an important role in building emotionally safe communication.
For this reason, the lack of boundary might be the problem.
2-3. Instructor Role-Modeling
I also think the attitude of the instructor plays a huge role in shaping the atmosphere of a discussion. When an instructor responds openly and respectfully to opposing viewpoints, it signals to everyone that disagreement is acceptable and even valuable. On the other hand, if a teacher appears dismissive or uncomfortable when a student expresses a different perspective, the whole environment quickly becomes cautious, and learners may start to hold back their real thoughts.
I believe that students watch how the instructor handle various situations. When an instructor shows curiosity toward different ideas, it sets a tone that diverse opinions are welcome.
This kind of instructors’ attitude start to create wholesome culture where learners feel free to express viewpoints that do not match the majority.
3. Closing the Process Phase
In this post, I explored three possible elements that may support honest participation in online learning:
- building trust
- clear communication boundaries
- instructor’s role-modeling
In my next post, I will summarize what I have learned across all of my Free Inquiry posts.
References
C Thi Nguyen. (2018). Escape the echo chamber. Aeon.
Licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0.
Nash, J. (2018, January 5). How to set healthy boundaries & build positive relationships. PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/great-self-care-setting-healthy-boundaries/