broken-link-checker domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/drcprod/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114bunyad domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/drcprod/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114Technology is increasingly becoming a requirement in composition courses. After all, many of our students have practically grown up using smartphones, so the assumption is that they will automatically be comfortable with multimodal projects that incorporate technological components with traditional writing. Yet such pedagogy does not take into account students battling anxiety. These\u00a0students might appear disinterested or \u201clazy,\u201d when in fact the idea of creating a multimodal project among peers causes extreme stress. In these cases, anxiety might be related to a mental health disorder, or the technology itself can induce symptoms in students who might not otherwise experience anxiety on a regular basis (also sometimes called technostress<\/strong>). Here I address the common signs of anxiety exhibited by students confronted with digital projects, as well as offer solutions to help promote inclusiveness for students with anxiety.<\/p>\n In the April 2016 edition of English Leadership Quarterly<\/em>, Oona Abrams brings up an important question when considering the use of digital projects in the English classroom: \u201cWhat actions are we taking to address digital divides, both socioeconomic and generational?\u201d Indeed, there are numerous considerations to contend with when using any digital projects as a framework for English lessons. Yet aside from age and class, many instructors tend to overlook the fact that multimodal projects tend to fall in line with an ableist framework\u2014especially when a student might suffer from anxiety as a form of disability.<\/p>\n Anxiety itself is defined as a mental health disorder which encompasses \u201cexcessive\u201d fears and worries. This often \u201csilent\u201d disability can manifest itself in numerous ways, and the classroom is no exception. As an instructor, you\u2019re more than likely to come across anxious students from time to time\u2014especially towards the end of the semester. Yet the truly anxious student, from a disability perspective, might not approach you for help. In fact, the anxiety might be so debilitating that the student could suffer physically and emotionally in silence. Such a student might be vocal about their worries in class, while others might keep to themselves and are too fearful to talk or share their work.<\/p>\n It is also important to note that the symptoms of anxiety and their severity can vary from person to person. While some people suffer from ongoing anxiety, others might experience constant ups and downs. Excessive worrying and fear of failure are just a couple of the hallmarks of this disability. When it comes to assignments in school, some might experience increased anxiety\u2014especially when it is a subject such students are unfamiliar with.<\/p>\n Technological literacy itself, in fact, is culturally considered to be a requirement for relevancy in society. Yet not everyone is technologically literate. So what happens when we come across students who are not all that comfortable with digital assignments, and who also battle anxiety? Such a combination can certainly become detrimental to a student\u2019s participation and overall success in a multimodal classroom.<\/p>\n In 1997, Times Higher Education <\/em>reported an estimate by psychology professor Richard A. Hudiburg that about 25 percent of all students experience some form of anxiety over technology use in the classroom. While the technology has changed over the last two decades, some of the issues Hudiburg noted in his original study cause anxiety in students today. Among these include \u201coutdated computer skills,\u201d \u201clack of computer expertise,\u201d \u201cneed to learn new software,\u201d and \u201clack of help with a computer problem.\u201d<\/p>\n It is admittedly not easy to solve such a dilemma. While we tend to use multimodal projects as a way to increase inclusion and participation in the classroom, we also do not want to leave out certain sets of students whose anxiety can leave them out of the discussion. Below, I propose a few steps instructors can take in terms of identifying and solving this problem to help make digital projects inclusive for all students.<\/p>\n