Lisa Cole Process Paper Final 2016

Running Head: SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH ANXIETY
Supporting Secondary Students with Anxiety Disorders and Preventing Absenteeism
with the use of Mobile Apps
by
Lisa M. Cole
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF EDUCATION IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
VANCOUVER ISLAND UNIVERSITY
We accept the Process Paper as conforming to the
required standard.
Justin Mark, Major Project Faculty Supervisor, Date

Faculty of Education,
Vancouver Island University
Harry Janzen, Dean, Date

Faculty of Education,
Vancouver Island University
Copyright 2016
SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH ANXIETY ii
Abstract
It is all too often as educators that we see students suffering from anxiety disorders in our
classrooms. Anxiety can be crippling to a student and cause the student to withdraw from
activities that they might see as threatening including the withdrawal of school. The intent of
this project was to explore how to help support learners that suffer from anxiety with the use of
technology in the classroom. The aim was to give teachers a fully comprehensive resource to
educate students about anxiety disorders and the mobile apps that were designed to help to
alleviate the symptoms. In order to do this, I created a website that is comprised of mobile apps
used in conjunction with anxiety disorders as well as a full unit plan for teachers. In conducting
my beta testing, it was my intention to find out a few specific items. I wanted to know if
teachers had the option to use mobile apps in their classrooms and if they were willing to use
them. I also was hoping to find out if they believed that students would be willing to use a
mobile app to help reduce the symptoms of anxiety. Finally, I wanted to know if the teachers
believed that mobile apps could help in preventing absenteeism in students that suffer from an
anxiety disorder. The responses that I obtained in the beta testing were positive and teachers
showed interest in using the unit along with the website. Many of them also requested additional
pages for apps that focused on other disorders. Based on my research, I found that teachers do
see value in the deliverable and I look forward to future maintenance of the website and will
continue to develop it with their suggestions in mind.
Website: www.technologyformentalhealth.weebly.com
Key Acronyms: OLTD - Online Learning and Teaching Diploma, VIU - Vancouver Island
University, MEDL - Masters in Educational Leadership, BL - Blended Learning

SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH ANXIETY iii
Acknowledgements
This journey that I have taken in completing my masters was not a journey I took alone. There
are many people in my life that need to be acknowledged. The first person that I need to thank is
my very supporting husband, Todd Cole. From the commencement of my post graduate diploma
to the end of this Master's project, he was with me the whole way. I especially want to thank
him for the number of times he needed to record a sporting event and watch it at a later time
because I was in class or working on a project and just couldn’t stand to think that he knew the
outcome before me. I would also like to thank a former coworker and now friend Stephanie
Odlum. Stephanie was my inspiration to move into a master’s program and gave me the push I
needed to move forward with it. Next, I would like to thank all of my beta testers for taking the
time out of their own busy schedule to critically review the work that I had put into this project.
I would like to also thank all of my professors and cohort members for all the new knowledge
that I acquired throughout the OLTD program. They were all so inspirational and encouraging.
Finally, I am thankful to both Mary O’Neill and Justin Mark for their thoughtful guidance,
support, and encouragement throughout this process. In his role as supervisor, Justin Mark took
time out of his own schedule to offer up ideas, engage in discussions with me, and even
proofread my paper on a number of occasions. With endless gratitude, I thank you all.
SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH ANXIETY iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………..…..…...ii
Acknowledgements………………………………………………….…………………...…...….iii
List of Figures…………….…………………………………………………………..…………viii
Chapter 1- Introduction……………………………………………………………..……………..1
Journey to My Major Project……………………………………………….……………..1
Critical Thinking to be Addressed…………………………………….…………………..3
Brief Overview of the Major Project…………………………………………………...…3
Planning Stage…………………………………………………………………….4
Design /Development and Production Stages……...……………………………..4
Implementation Stage……………………………………………………………..5
Evaluation Stage…………………………………………………………………..5
Summary…………………………………………………………………………………..5
Chapter 2- Literature Review……………………………………………….…………….……….7
Overview / Introduction……………….………………………….….……………………7
Teens and Anxiety Disorders………………………………………….…………………..8
Causes and Consequences of Teen Anxiety Disorders……………………………………8
Supporting Learners with Anxiety Disorders…………………………....………………11
In School Strategies……………………………….……………….………….....11
Blended Learning………………………………………………………….……..13
mLearning / eLearning……….…………….……………...…………………..…19
SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH ANXIETY v
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….21
Chapter 3- Procedures & Methods…………………………………………………………...…..22
Overview…………………………………………………………………………………22
Timeline for the Major Project…………………………………….………………….…22
Major Project Design…………………….………………………………………………24
Mobile Apps…………………………………………………………………………..25
Platform………………………………………………………….……………………26
Resource for Teachers………………………………………………………………...28
Unit Design for Teachers………………………………………………………...28
Unit Design for Students.………………………………………………………..30
Conclusion…...……………….………………………………………………………….30
Chapter 4- Field/Beta Testing and Findings……………………...….…………………………..31
Overview………………………………………………….……….……………………..31
Methods and Processes…………………….…….………………………………………31
Findings of Beta Testing - Apps for Mental Health……………………………………..32
Restrictions to Mobile App Use in the Classroom……………………………….32
Opportunities for Student Use………………………………………………...…34
Website Functionally…………………………………………………………….34
Additional Feedback………….………………………………………………….36
SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH ANXIETY vi
Findings of Beta Testing - Unit Plan: Anxiety Projects for the Classroom……………...36
General Observations…………………………………………………………….37
Practical use of the Unit……………………………………………………….…37
Preventing Absenteeism…………………………………………………39
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….40
Chapter 5- Conclusions and Recommendations…………………….………………………...…41
Overview………………………………………………….……………………………...41
Conclusions…………………………………………..……………….……………….…41
Recommendations………………………………………………………………………..43
Modifications to Consider…………………………………………………………43
Further Research…………………………………………………………………..44
Summary………………………………………………….……………………………...45
References………………………………………………………………………………………..47
Appendix A - Anxiety Project Lesson Plan……………………………………………………...51
Appendix B - Student Presentation Planning Worksheet………………………………………..57
Appendix C - Presentation Rubric (Teacher)…………………………………………………….60
Appendix D - Presentation Rubric (Peer)......................................................................................61
Appendix E - Anxiety App Critique Handout………………………………………………...…62
Appendix F - App Critique Rubric (Teacher)……………………………………………………65
Appendix G - App Critique Rubric (Peer)……………………………………………………….66
Appendix H - Apps for Mental Health Evaluation………………………………………………67

SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH ANXIETY vii
Appendix I - Anxiety Projects for the Classroom Evaluation…………………………………...68

SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH ANXIETY viii
List of Figures
Figure 1……………………………………………………………………………………………4
Figure 2……………………………………………………………………………………………4
Figure 3……………………………………………………………………………………………5
Figure 4…...……………………………………………………………………………………….5
Figure 5……………………………………………………………………………………………9
Figure 6…………………………………………………………………………………………..16
Figure 7…………………………………………………………………………………………..24
Figure 8…………………………………………………………………………………………..27
Figure 9…………………………………………………………………………………………..28
Figure 10………………………………………………………………………………………....33
Figure 11…………………………………………………………………………………………39
SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH ANXIETY 1
Chapter 1 – Introduction
Journey to My Major Project
The digital age is upon us and is making its way into our schools and into our classrooms.
If you walk through the halls of any high school in today’s society, it is hard not to notice the
number of students on their laptops, tablets or smartphones. You might think they are playing
games or texting friends. They very well might be, but that is not always the case. Students
often choose to use hand held technologies for a wide variety of applications, including gathering
information for educational purposes. They could be searching for the writer of their new
favourite song, checking out old sports statistics, searching to see if what they are feeling is
considered “normal”, or they might even be watching videos on how to factor trinomials as a
reminder before the quiz they have that afternoon.
It is becoming apparent that students are learning more than ever with the use of
handheld technologies. Many teachers are feeling an overwhelming need to bring technology
into the classroom to optimally take advantage of this incredibly powerful tool and maximize the
students learning goals.
With these thoughts in mind, I started to wonder how schools can better support their
learners with the use of technology. This is where the journey to my master’s project began.
My background in the education system started out by teaching the elementary grades but
very quickly evolved into working in a treatment facility with at-risk youth. It did not take me
long to know that struggling students were where I wanted to focus my time and energy.
Secondary students came to the at-risk treatment program with many different diagnoses
including Anxiety Disorder, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorders, and more. All of
these disorders came with their own sets of challenges for the students as well as for the teachers.
It was not long until I felt that I needed to spend more time researching the causes and effects of
anxiety disorders as many of the students suffered from them so severely. When I was new to the
treatment centre, I saw these students as “normal” and I could not understand why they needed
treatment at all. I spent the next few years learning as much as I could about anxiety disorders
with the hopes of learning how to best support students that suffered from the symptoms that
came with it. I started to understand how the disorder can take control of a student and for some,
make it nearly impossible to function in a regular classroom.
In my research, I came across study by Christopher Kearney that showed the link
between anxiety and school absenteeism which he called anxiety-based school refusal (2001).
The student’s inability to cope with the symptoms of the disorder would often cause students to
avoid certain stressful situations (like school), and/or they would turn to self-medicating.
Absenteeism and self-medicating were the reasons many students would end up in the treatment
program. They would come to the program for months, even sometimes for years, to learn how
to cope with their anxiety disorder. Throughout the process of treatment, many students believed
that if they had been shown more coping skills for their anxiety symptoms earlier in life, they
might not have ended up in treatment at all.
The original question I posed when moving into my masters was “How can teachers
support struggling learners in their classrooms with the use of technology?” In trying to
incorporate my background with this question, I thought it would be only natural to substitute out
“struggling learners” with “students that suffer form an anxiety disorder.” My question then
became, “How can teachers support students that suffer from an anxiety disorders in their
classrooms with the use of technology?” I also wondered if teachers could provide the students
with enough coping skills in order to avoid going to extremes on their own and thus not needing
to avoid school or turn to self-medicating. These are the thoughts that helped to form the critical
thinking question to be addressed in my major masters project.
Critical Thinking Question to be Addressed
The critical thinking question that I decided to pose for my major project is “Can
teachers effectively use mobile technologies in their secondary schools to educate students about
anxiety disorders and help students that suffer from symptoms? Could these mobile apps also
help in preventing absenteeism?”
Brief Overview of the Major Project
The goal of my major project was to design and build a website for teachers to use in
order to educate students about anxiety disorders as well as to have them access and trial a
mobile app that they could use to effectively cope with symptoms of anxiety in and out of the
classroom. To accomplish the goals of my project, I created a unit plan for teachers in order to
effectively use the website within the classroom. I decided to take a PDPIE framework approach
to organizing my major project development. PDPIE is typically used for online course
development but I modified it to better fit my needs in developing this major project. PDPIE is a
breakdown of 5 stages of development as follows:
1. Planning
2. Design / Development and
3. Production
4. Implementation
5. Evaluation
Planning Stage. This project began with the desire to use my newly acquired knowledge
from the Online Learning and Teaching Diploma (OLTD) program of the diverse functions of
technology in education. I decided I wanted to create an online resource that could be easily
accessible to teachers. In addition to my previous understanding of the consequences of anxiety
on high school aged students, I wanted to analyze the need for a resource for teachers so I
conducted a literature review to justify the project. The literature review that I conducted can be
found in Chapter 2 – Literature Review.
Figure 1. Planning Stage.
Design/Development and Production Stages. These stages went hand in hand for the
purpose of this project. They consisted of what research I used to justify my decisions on the
platform used, the use of mobile apps, and the creation of the unit for teachers. Details of this
stage of my project design can be found in Chapter 3 – Procedures and Methods.
Figure 2. Design/Development and Production Stages.

Implementation Stage. This is the stage where I conducted my field/beta testing as well
as created conclusions about my findings. I created a Google Form to distribute along with my
project to other educators in order to elicit some feedback on their thoughts. Details of this stage
can be found in Chapter 4- Field/Beta Testing and Findings
Figure 3. Implementation Stage.
Evaluation Stage. The final stage of the project was the creation of a summary of my
findings throughout. It was a time for reflection on all stages and completion of my Masters in
Educational Leadership (MEDL). It is here where I took some time to reflect back on my project
and gave my overall conclusions of my major project and made recommendations for further
research, design, development and/or implementation. The evaluation stage is found in Chapter
5 - Conclusions and Recommendations.
Figure 4. Evaluation Stage
Summary
The following four chapters will take you through my journey to discover the following
critical thinking question—“ Can teachers effectively use mobile technologies in their secondary
schools to educate students about anxiety disorders and help students that suffer from symptoms.
Could these mobile apps also help in preventing absenteeism?”

Chapter 2 – Literature Review
Overview / Introduction
This chapter describes the Planning Stage as referred to in Chapter 1 - Introduction. It
was the first part of the conception of my major project design and helped to conceptualize my
critical thinking question.
As many educators are aware, there has been a rise in teenage anxiety disorders over the
last several decades. Anxiety disorders are among the most frequent psychiatric disorders among
children and teenagers and the strategies teens use to adapt are extremely important in fostering
their mental health (Viorel, 2009, p. 96). It is as important for teachers to understand the
disorder in order to effectively cope with its challenges.
In my practice, I have seen the effects of the disorder on our youth both inside and
outside of the classroom. The last thing any educator wants for any student is to see them suffer
and ultimately drop out of school due to a disorder. Unfortunately, with an anxiety disorder,
being at school can sometimes be too overwhelming and many teachers do not know how to
support students when they are suffering from their symptoms.
For the purpose of this literature review, I will be focusing on researched-based findings
in regards to teenage anxiety as well as how teachers can best support these students both in and
out of the classroom. I will be specifically looking at studies on classroom strategies, blended
learning models, and mLearning/eLearning and how these findings might aid in preventing
absenteeism in high school aged students. This research will be done in order to create a
deliverable product to assist both teachers and students. It is not for the sole purpose of
addressing the critical thinking question.

Teens and Anxiety Disorders
According to the Community Practitioner, “There has been a sharp rise in the number of
young people suffering from anxiety disorders…. ensuring that young people have access to
accurate information and ongoing support is critical” (April 2014, p. 5). Kessler et al (2005) also
stated in that same journal article that anxiety is more than a ‘buzz’ word with our youth today, it
is the most common psychiatric illness in the United States with 28.8% of the population
experiencing anxiety-related symptoms in their lifetime. The Anxiety Disorders Association of
Canada reports a lower number of diagnosed anxiety disorders than the United States, but sill
notes that 12% of Canadian teens are affected in any given year (2007). The condition is real
and parents and teachers of teens with anxiety know how severely it can impact their lives. What
is it that is causing this rise in anxiety, and what effects is it having on them?
Causes and Consequences of Teen Anxiety Disorders. Rector, Bourdeau and Kitchen
(2010) reported that there is no clear-cut answer as to why some people develop anxiety
disorders. They believe it is a combination of biological factors, psychological factors, and
challenging life experiences including:
● stressful or traumatic life events;
● a family history of anxiety disorders;
● childhood development issues;
● alcohol, medications or illicit substances;
● other medical or psychiatric problems. (p. 14)
The Calm Clinic (2015) also provided a list of some of the major potential causes for anxiety
specific to teenagers:
● hormonal shifts and mood swings;

● brain development and judgment problems;
● bodily changes;
● distancing from parents or guardians;
● changing ideals and parental disapproval;
● isolation;
● peer and social pressures;
● underage alcohol/drug use;
● mental/physical abuse.
One of the major concerns that I have experienced with my students in the past, is their
instinct to withdrawal from anything that is challenging due to their disorder. In 2007,
Christopher Kearney conducted a study that found school absenteeism and anxiety are, in fact,
linked (p. 60). In his article, Kearney states that absenteeism that comes from anxiety-based
school refusal can ultimately cause short and long term difficulties (2001). Kearney (2007)
documented in his publication, Forms of School Refusal Behaviour, that school refusal can
manifest in many different forms. He explains that it is important for students and teachers to
recognize the signs in order to find possible solutions. Listed here are some signs that parents
and teachers should become aware of:

Figure 5: Forms of School Refusal Behaviour. Adapted from “Forms and functions of school
refusal behavior in youth: An empirical analysis of absenteeism severity” by Kearney, 2007.
The sooner an anxiety disorder is recognized, the sooner we can teach the student coping
mechanisms both in and out of the classroom.
From another standpoint, Jo Ingul and Hans Nordahl (2013) conducted similar research
on the effects of anxiety and published their findings in the journal article “Anxiety as a Risk
Factor for School Absenteeism: What Differentiates Anxious School Attenders from Non-
Attenders?” They stated that in more recent studies, anxiety alone does not predict problematic
school absenteeism. They also noted that many researchers use terms differently so comparisons
between studies may be difficult (p. 2).
Based on my experience with students, I believe that there is an underlying link between
anxiety disorders and absenteeism but the research has proven this is difficult to gauge.
Why might students with anxiety disorders choose not to attend school? According to the
website www.Kidshealth.org, when any person enters into a tense situation, they can suffer from
sweaty palms, shallow breathing, a pounding heart or tense muscles, among other physical
symptoms. These are normal responses to stress. With an anxiety disorder, symptoms can last
longer and become even more intense. These symptoms can initiate a “fight-or-flight” instinct in
anyone, but the student with anxiety is more likely to choose “flight” mode rather than fighting
the situation. Ultimately, this could include ‘flight’ from school. When a student misses school
at a higher rate than normal, they are at risk of lower grades, isolation, family problems,
delinquency, low self-esteem, and dropping out of school altogether. Lack of a high school
diploma can lead to limited career choices, decreased income and, in the worst case scenario,
suicide.
In order to promote attendance with students that suffer from anxiety, we need to first
know how to support them in their journey and learn how to modify their surroundings to make
them feel comfortable enough to come to school and stay there. What are some things we can do
to support our learners with anxiety disorders?
Supporting Learners with Anxiety Disorders
Students with anxiety often need specialized support. Without the right training, teachers
can find this to be a very difficult undertaking. Throughout my research, I have discovered that
there are several specific strategies that can be implemented into teaching, inside and outside of
the classroom that can help reduce the symptoms of anxiety. These include the following:
● In-school strategies
● Blended Learning delivery models,
● mLearning / eLearning
In School Strategies. In her article titled “If they Can’t Stand the Heat …: Supporting
the Academic Development of Higher Education Students with Anxiety and Depression
Disorders” Marie Stevenson (2015) presented a list of strategies for a post-secondary setting that
could easily be transferred to the secondary school setting. Application of these strategies could
ultimately create a comfortable place for the student with an anxiety disorder and allow them to
complete their work without causing symptoms of anxiety. The strategies are Preventative
Strategies, Organizational Strategies, Analytic Strategies, Unblocking Strategies and Anxiety
Reduction Strategies.
● Preventative Strategies - These strategies are most often used with students who have
disclosed a disorder and are able to discuss the learning expectations prior to the
beginning of an instructional session. Strategies include:
o Work with the student to organize their workload;
o Encourage them to explore their learning styles;
o Make them aware of resources and people available to them (p. 44).
● Organizational Strategies - Students with anxiety and depression can find it particularly
difficult to organize their study workload. They often express concern that they are
falling behind, are overwhelmed by the amount of work that they have to do, or have had
a period where they have been unable to attend classes or be productive. Strategies in
these situations include:
o Develop a plan for completing assignments;
o Assist them in applying for extensions;
o Encourage them to monitor their own progress (p. 44).
● Analytic Strategies - Students with anxiety and/or depression disorders, like many
students, have problems with procrastination but often in a more extreme way such that
they feel completely “frozen” with regard to their study. Strategies include:
o Assist the student to break down their assignment into manageable steps;
o Ask the student to write down the first two steps they will take to begin the
assignment (p. 45).
● Unblocking Strategies - Students with anxiety and/or depression who seek help with an
assignment are often blocked at one of two stages. The first is starting the assignment,
where the analytic strategy above is effective, and the second is when a student has done
sufficient, even extensive research, but cannot start to write.
o A strategy for this is to have students discuss the topic at hand without using any
notes (p. 45).
● Anxiety Reduction Strategies - With students who are extremely distressed, it is
sometimes necessary to encourage them to suspend from their studies for a short period.
o A strategy for this is to give the student permission to back away from an
assignment for a pre-determined amount of time (p. 45).
According to the research, many of these strategies were proven effective but may not be enough
for a student and they may need to be prescribed medications for their anxiety if symptoms
progress.
Blended Learning. Blended Learning is any educational program that combines
eLeanring with traditional classroom methods and gives the student some element over time,
place, path or pace. This model is working for many students around the globe and is often a
choice for students with anxiety disorders because it allows them to have some type of control
over their learning.
Blended Learning environments can be supported by different delivery models. In 2002,
Blended Learning was described by Phipps & Merisotis (1999), “Third generation of distance
education systems” (pg. 26). Kathleen Harting and Margaret Erthal (2005) addressed the first
generation of Distance Learning in their article “History of Distance Learning” and dates the
term back to 1728 when Caleb Phillips “placed an advertisement in the Boston Gazette to send
weekly lessons to prospective students” (pg. 35). According to Pete Sharma in his English
Language Teaching Journal article entitled “Blended Learning”, the second generation was
defined as distance education with a single technology such as the use of a computer, and the
current, third generation is called Blended Learning (2010, p. 456). Bonk, Graham, Cross, &
Moore (2012) believe that Blended Learning is a long-neglected concept whose time has finally
arrived.
Education is now at our fingertips with the use of technology so much of our student
learning starts with a Google search. Blended Learning is one great way of taking advantage of
our available resources. Sharpe, Benfield, Roberts, & Francis (2006) wrote in their article The
Undergraduate Experience of Blended E-learning: A Review of UK Literature and Practice, that
blended delivery models are trending and are quickly proving to be a choice in many schools
nationwide. Blended Learning has even been described as a current ‘buzz’ word in teaching and
has undergone numerous changes in definition over the last 30 years. It has developed and
adapted from many different models to help address student needs (p.18). In my professional
experience, I have seen students with anxiety disorders thrive in the Blended Learning classroom
as they assume more control over their learning and thus perceive that there may be less risk
taking required.
NIIT (2002), a content development and curriculum design company, categorized Blended
Learning into four models:
1. Skill-Driven Model: Learning specific knowledge and skills requires regular feedback
and support from the trainer, facilitator, or peer. This requires self-paced learning with
instructor or facilitator support to develop specific knowledge and skills.
2. Attitude-Driven Model: Content that deals with developing new attitudes and behaviours
requires peer-to-peer interaction and a risk-free environment. This mixes various events
and delivery media to develop specific behaviours.

3. Competency-Driven Model: To capture and transfer tacit knowledge, learners must
interact with, and observe, experts on the job. This blends performance support tools with
knowledge management resources and mentoring to develop workplace competencies.
4. Behaviour-Driven Model: This model is an approach used to teach content that requires
learners to try out new behaviours in a risk-free environment using face-to-face and
technology-enabled collaborative events. (Valiathan, 2002).
These four models were all used in different teaching environments and the choice of which
to implement is ultimately dependent on curriculum and the students themselves. All of these
models, when applied specifically to students with anxiety disorders, can be adapted to meet
their needs as each model has a focus on facilitating learners in a risk-free environment.
Horn & Staker (2014) took a deeper look into how schools are now effectively blending their
classrooms and, after conducting their own research, they found that there are four different
models that schools are utilizing to meet their definition of Blended Learning. Their definition
applies a broad view of what Blended Learning can be. “Blended learning is any formal
education program in which a student learns at least in part, through online learning, with some
element of student control over time, place, path and/or pace” (Horn & Staker, 2014, p 33). With
that definition, we can see that Blended Learning could be considered as a premium choice for
many students with anxiety disorders as it provides the control they so desire.
Each model offers different types of control for the student. Here are the four models that
Horn & Staker characterize that are proving to be effective in classrooms for many types of
students.
Figure 6. Blended Learning Taxonomy. Adapted from “Classifying K-12 blended learning,” by
M. B. Horn and H. Staker, 2012, Innosight Institute.
Rotation Model - This Blended Learning model is not a new concept in education.
Horn & Staker (2014) describe this as a category which includes “any course or subject
in which students rotate – either on a fixed schedule or at the teacher’s discretion- among
learning modalities, at least one of which is online” (p. 37). It allows several activities to
take place at the same time and they do not need a complete class set of computers, only
enough for the group at that station. It is separated into four subcategories.
1. Station Rotation – “This rotation takes place within a classroom or a set of
classrooms” (p. 37).
2. Lab Rotation – “Lab Rotation is similar to Station Rotation, but students walk
to the computer lab for the online-learning portion of the course” (p. 40). This
is seen in many schools now but is limited by the school schedule and
available lab times.
3. Flipped Classroom – “In a classroom that is flipped, students consume online
lessons or lectures independently, whether at home or during a homework
period on campus. The time in the classroom, previously reserved for teacher
instruction, is instead spent on what we used to call homework, with teachers
providing assistance” (p. 42). Flipped Classrooms have gained much
attention recently, especially at the high school level. Many teachers use
videos hosted on the very popular Khan Academy website.
4. Individual Rotation – “In an Individual Rotation, students rotate on an
individually customized schedule among learning modalities” (p. 44). In this
model, students choose what to learn, and when to learn it. They often have
an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) that is provided to them by the
school but they have control over it.
The main control that a student would typically have in a rotation model is over the pace
of the courses they are taking. In their stations, they choose at which pace they want to
do their learning. The rest is highly controlled by the teacher.
Flex Model - The flex model is traditionally seen in credit-recovery classes and
alternate education programs. The term “flex” refers to courses or subjects in which
online learning is the backbone of the student learning and, at times, the student might be
directed offline to complete activities (p. 46). In the flex model, the student moves
through their courses at their own pace, and there is a teacher present to help when
needed.
This model is great for students if they fall into absenteeism. It often allows them
to choose the time at which they would like to attend, the pace at which they would like
to complete the credit-recovery, and they are sometimes the choice of what courses they
would like to take. This would also give them control over the path of their studies.
A La Carte Model - This model is offered to students in enrichment as well as to
students that would like to take a course that their school does not offer. The classes are
entirely online and typically taken outside of their regular classes while still attending the
physical space of their own high school. They could take these courses during study hall,
or even after school (p. 48). The key components of this model are that the students are
taking the online courses through their school and attending face-to-face in order for it to
be considered blended.
In this model, students have control over the pace and path but there is little to no
support for them. This might work for some students with an anxiety disorder but as they
often have problems with procrastination and are easily distracted, as Stevenson (2009)
stated in her strategies article, there typically needs to be supervision and a good support
system for these students to succeed (pg. 44).
Enriched Virtual Model - The final model that Horn & Staker (2014) suggest is
the Enriched Virtual Model. “This model describes courses that offer required face-to-
face learning sessions but allow students to do the rest of the work online or from
wherever they prefer (p.48). They attend on a predetermined schedule, or as needed, for
face-to-face instruction, then they do the rest of their work, independently, wherever they
prefer.
For some students with an anxiety disorder, this might be the ideal Blended
Learning option. They must attend sessions, which helps to support them and keep them
on track, then they get the comfort of doing the rest wherever they feel safe. This model
offers the most control.
In my research to date, have I been challenged to find any evidence that one Blended
Learning model is superior to another for students with differentiating levels of anxiety. Nor was
I able to find any conclusive proof that Blended Learning is an effective strategy for high anxiety
students to avoid absenteeism. However, based on my own experience, I believe it to be true and
will be continuing my research on these possibly interrelated topics.
mLearning / eLearning- mLearning, or mobile learning, is defined as “The exploitation
of ubiquitous handheld technologies, together with wireless and mobile phone networks, to
facilitate, support, enhance and extend the reach of teaching and learning” (MoLeNET, 2011).
Compared to traditional modalities of Internet access from the PC or laptop, mobile Internet
enables users to connect to the Internet freely, continually, and simultaneously (Okazaki, 2009,
p. 442). Teachers can now reach their students from anywhere at any time. They are no longer
confined to seat time in the classroom. Teachers can send students real-time messages,
reminders, and assignments through any form of messaging or program that can be accessed by a
mobile device.
eLearning, previously defined as online learning, has made its way into the mLearning
realm. Shippee and Keengwe (2012), in their article “mLearning: Anytime, Anywhere Learning
Transcending the Boundaries of the Educational Box” state that eLearning and mLearning, as
distinguishable forums for education, will no longer be discrete of each other, hybrids have
formed creating a symbiotic relationship between the two. They also note that many teachers are
bound by one goal-- to effectively and efficiently reach the needs of all of their students. This
goal can be attained and is more accessible through mLearning (p.103). For students that are
suffering from anxiety, eLearning and mLearning could be a key factor in keeping them up to
date with assignments if they are unable to attend classes on a regular basis.
Blended Learning appears to be an excellent option for students with anxiety disorders
that suffer from absenteeism but teachers can use preventative methods prior to feeling the need
to convert their face-to-face classes into Blended Learning. mLearning may provide this option.
According to “Teens, Health, and Technology: A National Survey,” many government agencies
and public health organizations are spearheading teen-oriented efforts on relevant teen topics in
order to help communication efforts (Wartella, E., Rideout, V., Zupancic, H., Beaudoin-Ryan,
L., & Lauricella, 2015. p. 1). The study showed that the Internet is the primary source of health
information for teens and 32% of teens have changed their behaviours due to digital health
information (pg. 2). According to Jones and Fox (2009), 93% of teens aged 12-17 were online in
2009, being the most connected age group to be accessing information electronically. Why don’t
we use this to our advantage and teach them how to find and use anxiety coping strategies online
and on their mobile devices so they can avoid anxiety attacks and thus perhaps avoid missing
school or needing to go home?
In the first half of 2014, health and fitness apps saw a 62% increase in use (Peek, H.
2015) and there are many designed for use in helping anxiety and depression--even specifically
in teens. Introducing teens to websites such as Anxiety.bc, or KidsHealth.org, or even creating
opportunities in class to evaluate mental health apps could open them up to learning some
traditional and alternate coping skills for anxiety.

Conclusion
In my research, I found that anxiety disorders are more prevalent than ever among our
youth. With the pressures of growing up in a digital age, it is difficult for teens to escape from
the many stressors in their lives. Teachers can be an incredible resource and support system for
these students if they have the right tools.
The research suggests that there are different methods to support our youth, and there
have been a large number of studies conducted on how we can help students that suffer from
symptoms of anxiety. What I did not find in my research was a solid connection between
anxiety disorders, absenteeism, and the use of these preventative strategies.
In further consideration of my critical challenge question “Can teachers effectively use
mobile technologies in their secondary schools to educate students about anxiety disorders and
help students that suffer from symptoms? Could these mobile apps also help in preventing
absenteeism?” I hope to present teachers with further strategies, tools, and options essential in
supporting students with anxiety disorders.

Chapter 3 – Procedures & Methods
Overview
This chapter describes the remainder of the Design/Development Stage as referred to in
Chapter 1. The purpose of this chapter is to give you an overview of the procedures and methods
that I used while creating my major project in order to explore my critical thinking question,
“Can teachers effectively use mobile technologies in their secondary schools to educate students
about anxiety disorders and help students that suffer from symptoms? Could these mobile apps
also help in preventing absenteeism?” Presented here is the project timeline, and the major
project design.
Timeline for the Major Project
For this project, there was a timeline allocation of six months from the start date in which
to complete all required components. The Chapter 2 - Literature Review was completed prior to
this six months as part of the OLTD requirement but revised throughout the six month period as
new information was acquired. The project proposal, Chapter 1 – Introduction, was drafted in
the first two months as part of the MEDL 680 requirement and revised throughout the next four
months as deemed necessary. In the first three months of MEDL, I created the website
www.technologyformentalhealth.weebly.com to gather the mobile apps I chose to use and
provide links to the Anxiety Projects Unit Plan (Appendix A), the Student Presentation Planning
Worksheet (Appendix B), the Teacher Presentation Rubric (Appendix C), the Peer Presentation
Rubric (Appendix D), the Anxiety App Critique Handout (Appendix E), the Teacher App
Critique Rubric (Appendix F), and the Peer App Critique Rubric (Appendix G).
The next component that was required was feedback from my field/beta testing. I created
two separate evaluation forms for other professionals to contribute their feedback and
constructive criticism. One was specifically for the website called Apps for Mental Health
(Appendix H), and another to evaluate and critique the lessons that I had created called Anxiety
Projects for the Classroom (Appendix I). This component took approximately the next two
months to complete. Details of this piece of my project can be found in Chapter 4 - Field/Beta
Testing and Findings.
The final stage of my major project was to reflect back on all of the work I had done and
summarize my conclusions and recommendations. This was completed in the last month of the
allocated time and can be found in Chapter 5 - Conclusions and Recommendations.
As discussed in Chapter 1, each of the components of my major project falls under the
PDPIE framework approach. Below is an itemized list of the specific breakdown of each stage,
when they were addressed in the six-month allotment, and in which chapter of this process paper
each is covered.
1. Planning (Chapter 2 - Literature Review, Chapter 1 - Introduction)
2. Design / Development (Chapter 3 - Procedures and Methods, Website)
3. Production (Chapter 3 - Procedures and Methods, Website)
4. Implementation (Chapter 4 - Field/Beta Testing and Findings)
5. Evaluation (Conclusions and Recommendations)

Figure 7. Stages of Major Project Development
Major Project Design
The creation of this project came from a combination of my background in educating
students with mental health disorders as well as my newly acquired skills and knowledge from
the OLTD program in regards to website building and mobile technologies for education.
Throughout my years of teaching, I was constantly seeking more resources to educate myself and
my students about any disorders that they might be challenged with and during the OLTD
program, my interest grew specifically in the use of technology in the classroom. As I
progressed towards the MEDL program, I started to conceptualize ways in which to combine
educational resources for mental health and the use of technology in the classroom.
While researching for the writing of my literature review (Chapter 2), I decided to set my
focus specifically on how to help teachers use mobile apps with students who suffer from anxiety
disorders with the hopes of possibly preventing absenteeism. I decided that a website for
teachers would be the best approach to this as it would allow open and universal access to the
specific tools. The following sections will describe in detail each of my design choices and my
justification for use.

Mobile Apps. In the OLTD program, we were exposed to so many different forms of
technology and tools that could be used in our classrooms. I knew that I wanted to create a
resource for teachers to help them use technology in teaching coping skills to students with
anxiety disorders, but I needed to choose an appropriate tool that could possibly avoid additional
costs for the schools. I needed to find a tool that the students already had or that I thought would
be easily accessible to them.
I knew that there were many students in schools with cell phones just by walking the
halls but I was curious to know if this was static throughout Canada and not just in my affluent
city in British Columbia. I came across an article written by a reporter from the Canadian Press,
Michael Oliveria. In 2014, he delivered the news that 25% of students in grade 4 owned a
mobile device and 90% of students in grade 11 have their own cell phones. This was enough
evidence to suggest that there would be only a very small chance of a digital divide and I would
be able to reach most students if I chose to use mobile technology. The National Institute of
Mental Health published an article in May of 2016 titled, “Technology and the Future of Mental
Health Treatment.” It stated that technology has opened a new frontier in mental health support
(NIMH, 2016). In my literature review, I also found out that in the first half of 2014, health and
fitness apps saw a 62% increase in use (Peek, H. 2015) and there are many designed for use in
helping anxiety and depression--even specifically in teens. The National Institute of Mental
Health (MIMH) lists among their benefits of using mobile apps over other forms of technology
their convenience, anonymity, and low cost (2016). As my focus for the major project was for
high-school aged students, those three factors in combination with my newly found knowledge
of accessibility and the rise of health apps contributed to my decision focus solely on mobile
apps.
I had already started compiling a list of apps for mental health in another course that I
took in the OLTD program. From that list, I identified apps that were specifically created to help
with anxiety disorders to use in my final project. I researched additional mobile apps throught
this project and added them for use in my final deliverable. For the purpose of this project, I also
felt it was important to add in descriptions of each app, cost, compatibility, and any associated
hyperlinks. I considered these all to be of great importance to teachers and students so that they
could have a snapshot of each mobile app and the more information that I provided to the
teachers and students, the easier it would be for them to choose one that would fit their particular
need. Next, I needed to decide on a platform where I was going to host the mobile apps for
teachers to access.
Platform. The next step in the major project was to decide on a platform to use that
would best organize all of the chosen mobile apps. Throughout OLTD, I was fortunate enough
to be exposed to many different types of ways to organize information using online platforms so
my options were numerous. After closely considering the pros and cons as well as my comfort
level with each, I decided to build the website using Weebly.com. I used this website builder to
create my own eLearning Portfolio throughout my two years in OLTD and was very pleased
with the end product. Weebly is easy to use and it creates a well-organized, easy to navigate and
visually appealing website. Navigation was a key factor in my decision as I did not want teachers
to arrive at the website in need of help for a student and feel a sense of frustration once there due
to an unclear layout.
In order to help teachers use the website, I added in directions on how to use the website
upon arriving at the home page. Teachers are immediately given an overview of the purpose of
the website.
Figure 8. Instructions listed on main page of website for teachers and school leaders.
It should be noted that the overall focus of the website is to provide mental help apps for
a variety of mental health disorders but for the purpose of this project, anxiety was the focus. At
the bottom of the web page, there are instructions and hyperlinked pages to guide teachers and
school leaders.
As an additional note, the instructions for school leaders, as well as the hyperlinked pages
associated with them, were created by my classmate and colleague, Felipe Sequeira. Felipe and I
collaborated on several projects in the OLTD program with great success. In discussions
regarding our major projects, we realized that we had a similar aim of enabling the use of mobile
apps in classrooms. My aim was to provide teachers with a usable resource, and Felipe’s was to
provide a site for administrators and school leaders to acquire the facts of using mobile apps in
Canadian schools as well as providing all the associated paperwork. We decided it would be in
both of our best interests to collaborate on the website portion of our major projects. I created the
website and chose the design as well as importing all of the images you see at the top of all tabs.
I also created the homepage as well as the “Anxiety” tab with all of its contents. Felipe created
the “Implementation” page, the “App Round-Up” page, and the “Essential Resources” page. It
should be noted that Felipe had not completed his project when this chapter was written so there
may be additional pages that he created after this document was completed.
When navigating the site, if a user decided to proceed and explore the "Anxiety" section,
they would have the option to use the link at the top of the page or the hyperlink in the
instructional note for teachers. Once in the “Anxiety” section of the website, the user would find
an instruction listed on the page as to where the teachers can find the unit plan that I had created
to help them use the website.
Figure 9. Note for teachers.
The next item was to create a resource for teachers so they could best use the website.
Resource for Teachers. After putting together my website, I felt that the best way for
teachers to get use out of it was to create a pre-packaged unit that they could use with their
students in order for them to better understand anxiety disorders and to trial some of the mobile
apps. I decided to design my lesson based on several factors. Kevin Perks explains in Crafting
Effective Choices to Motivate Students that if we let learners determine whom they work with,
where to work, and how they complete tasks, you often see a boost in student motivation (p. 3).
Based on the research that I conducted for my literature review in Chapter 2, in combination with
my experiences in inclusive and alternate education, I created a unit that could be flexible for
both teachers and students. With that flexibility in mind, my unit plan goals were slightly
different for teachers than they were for students.
Unit Design For Teachers. My goal in the design was to be able to have it easily
integrated into any classroom with minimal or no additional work for teachers. In order to
accomplish this, I took into consideration prep time, available technology and available
classroom time
For prep, the teacher would need to photocopy a class set of the Student
Presentation Planning Worksheets (Appendix B), the Anxiety App Critique handout
(Appendix E), and their chosen rubrics (Appendix C, Appendix D, Appendix F and
Appendix G). If the teacher decided to use any technology that was not located in their
classroom, they would also need to allocate time to sign out materials or book a computer
lab.
If the teacher is limited in the use of technology, I added flexibility into the unit
format to accommodate. It should be noted that some technology is required in order for
the students to complete their research as well as trial a mobile app.
The unit is also very flexible dependent on time. I broke the unit into two separate
parts so the teacher can choose to do only one of the two if there is a time constraint. The
first part could be completed in a single class, or the unit could stretch on for months if
the teacher decided to add in additional projects that fit into the unit. Here are a few
examples for additions that the teacher can create if they so desired
● Having the students create a blog or wiki
● Teaching an English lesson on critiques
● Adding in a lesson on proper APA referencing
● Incorporating in a lesson on filmography
In order to save the teacher additional time, I also created two separate sets of
rubrics for each part of the unit. There is a teacher evaluation and a peer evaluation. If
the teacher would like to save time, they could choose to forgo one or the other.
Unit Design for Students. If we refer back to Kevin Perks comments on student
motivation in combination with what we now know about anxiety disorders and
providing students with a risk-free environment, my aim for students was to add enough
options for them to be both comfortable and creative in their presentations. They have
the option to work alone or in groups as well as the options of how they want to present
their material whether online, in class, or written.
Conclusion
Documented in this chapter was the process of my major project design and development
and the justification of my choices in order to explore my critical thinking question. It should be
noted that throughout this process, I elicited the help of other educational professionals and
revised the website and the content of the unit as deemed needed.
In the next chapter, we will discuss my process for determining the success of my major
project in terms of the deliverable.

Chapter 4 – Field/Beta Testing and Findings
Overview
This chapter describes the Implementation Stage as referred to in Chapter 1. The purpose
of this chapter is to articulate my process for determining the success of my major project in
terms of the deliverables. I will first explain the methods and process that I used to formulate
and distribute the deliverables, then synthesize my findings on both the website and on my unit
plan.
Methods and Process
In order to obtain informal feedback on both the website and the unit plan, there were two
main items that I needed to address. I needed to determine what information I hoping to gather
and how was I going to gather that information
In order to determine what information I was looking to gather about my deliverable, I
knew that I needed to refer back to my critical thinking question. That question was “Can
help in preventing absenteeism?”
The first and most important thing I needed to know from the feedback, in order to
determine if there was value in my work, was if there were any school restrictions that educators
have regarding the use of mobile apps. I also needed to find out if educators saw the need to
teach their students about anxiety in their own classrooms and if my deliverable was functional
enough to do so. The final thing that I required to validate success in my project, was if
educators felt that a mobile app could help in preventing student absenteeism.
I decided that the easiest way to obtain this information in an anonymous, online format,
was to create two separate Google Forms. One to evaluate the website and one to evaluate the
unit plan. I created them separately because I felt that if a response to both items were required,
it would be much more time consuming and I would receive fewer responses in which to
formulate an opinion of the success of my project design. To view a list of questions that I posed
in regards to the website please refer to Appendix H and to view the questions that I posed in
regards to the unit plan, please refer to Appendix I.
Once, the format of the survey was decided upon, and the questions that I wanted were
compiled and included, I needed to distribute my deliverables to other professionals in order to
gather feedback. This proved to be more difficult than I had hoped, perhaps because I have been
separated from the high school setting for a number of years and my pool of contacts has
diminished. I was able to convince about 3 former colleagues to provide feedback and relied on
my contacts from OLTD to provide the rest. In total, I received 14 responses on the website and
6 on my unit plan.
In the following two sections, I will discuss my findings of each component separately.
Findings of Beta Testing - Apps for Mental Health
In this section, I will discuss the findings from the Google Form in regards to the website.
I will discuss what I discovered in regards to the restrictions of mobile app use in the classroom,
the opportunities for student use, the website functionality, and any other additional critical
feedback that I obtained from the educators.
Restrictions to Mobile App Use in the Classroom. I thought it was very important to
find out if educators had the option to use apps in their classrooms. Throughout OLTD, many of
our discussions were around privacy and the use of technology and there seemed to be an
overwhelming amount of restrictions that educators in Canada are faced with.
Based on the discussions from OLTD, I was surprised to see that many of the educators
that responded to my Google Form had already used mobile apps in their classrooms. The 61.1%
of educators using apps accounted for 8 of my 13 responses to that particular question.
Figure 10. Educators that have or have not used mobile apps in their classrooms.
When I asked if the educators had restrictions and what those restrictions were, there was
an interesting combination of responses. I had 11 responses in total and 3 of the educators were
unaware of any restrictions on the use of mobile apps in the classroom. Two educators listed that
they had no restrictions, but that the WIFI was unreliable in their school. This was a restriction
that I did not anticipate when first posing this question. Two educators stated that mobile apps
are restricted in their school if they are not for academic purposes (non-related use), and 1 said
that the school does not allow the use of anything that requires a password or email address upon
sign-up. It should be noted that one educator responded by stating, “As an educator, I am
hesitant to use mobile apps with students as not everyone has the luxury of a mobile device, and
therefore singling those individuals out would not be ideal.”
Opportunities for Student Use. The next important factor in determining the success
of my project was to find out if educators would be willing to suggest the use of an app to a
student with a mental health disorder and if educators believed that students would have the
willingness to use them.
The responses to these questions were positive across the board with only a small amount
of reluctance. As for the educators willingness to suggest an app for mental health, all of the
educators would have been at least somewhat willing and most had no problems recommending
them at all. There were some concerns from the educators that they would not want students to
think this would replace the professional help of a healthcare provider. They said that they
would need to stress to the students that the apps were to be used to help manage their symptoms
in addition to professional help. Additionally, another educator was concerned that excessive
screen time can cause isolation and that there would be additional emotional and physical
support needed.
I also received an overall positive response to whether they believed that a student would
be willing to use an app for mental health. Of the concerns, several educators expressed that the
labels or stigmas associated with mental health issues could be a barrier. One educator said that
even calling it a “Mental Health App” might be intimidating. It was very interesting to see this
same type of comment from an elementary educator that chooses to call it self-regulation instead
as self-regulation might be more empowering whereas mental health can imply an illness.
Website Functionality. The purpose of this portion of the feedback was to evaluate the
functionality of the website itself and if there were any issues that needed to be addressed. I was
happy with the feedback in this section as most of the educators loved it which means they might
actually use it.
The educators reported that the website was strong and easy to navigate for the most part.
One educator thought that “Once teachers start to use the site and share it will be even stronger.”
Some said that all that is missing is more apps for students with other mental health disorders.
There were a few critical feedback items that must be noted. There were some aesthetic
errors, as well as a mention of some grammatical errors. As for aesthetics, one educators thought
the font was too small to read and the light blue hyperlinks were also difficult to see. Another
educator had some trouble with the navigation as they were looking for a pull down menu for the
“Anxiety” page rather than just clicking on the link. One educator expressed the need for
additional details on the sections of the website. These items were noted and repaired as needed.
There was one particular item of feedback that I found unexpected but interesting. One
of the feedback responses indicated that the educator was not happy that I added in apps that cost
money. The educator said, “We should be promoting on their wellbeing, not trying to capitalize
on their struggles.” I disagree with this as there are many great apps for mental health out there
that are free and included on the site but if a student chose to try one that at a cost, that was their
choice. I think giving the student the option to choose which one is best for them is a better
option than not including them at all. This is a free website for teachers and I do not believe that
any of us are attempting to capitalize or profit from our students use of these apps.
Another recommendation received about the site was an overwhelming response to the
addition of more apps for other health disorders. Some additional pages for apps that were
requested by the educators were:
● Depression
● Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
● Phobias
● Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
● Autism
● Obsessive Defiance Disorder
● Conduct Disorder
● Focus and Concentration
The final concern noted was that the lesson was no longer visible as a preview on the
website, only able to be downloaded as a PDF. There seems to be a glitch in Weebly.com. The
PDF’s are still available to educators but if the error continues to occur, I will simply delete the
lesson preview and provide in PDF format only. At this time, the problem has seemed to have
fixed itself.
Additional Feedback. There was a great deal of feedback from the educators asking for
more apps for other mental health disorders and most said that they enjoyed the site. One
educator noted that they think it should include mental health apps that were particularly geared
towards the classroom. This is something that I am going to research once my project is
complete and perhaps create a separate tab for teaching students about mental health with the use
of apps.
It should be noted that there were a number of comments about the unit plan in the
additional feedback section. These comments will be addressed in the following section.
Findings of Beta Testing - Unit Plan: Anxiety Projects for the Classroom
In this Google Form, Anxiety Projects for the Classroom (Appendix I), I did not receive
as much feedback as I initially hoped. As mentioned earlier in Chapter 3, I created a separate

form for the unit as I thought that fewer educators would be inclined to critique both the website
and the unit as it is more time consuming. Results show that I was correct in my prediction.
Only seven educators took the time to review my unit. The following sections discuss the
general comments about the unit, the practical use of the unit, and if there was a possibility of
preventing absenteeism with the use mobile apps when specifically dealing with anxiety.
General Observations. Overall, the unit was well received by all. The only real
criticism that I received was that the target age group was not clear. The rest of the feedback was
great. Here are a few quotes from educators in regards to my unit plan:
“This was the clearest site that I have evaluated.”
“The lesson provides students with a great insight into mental health.”
“I think offering reviews of apps that could be useful in a classroom is a brilliant idea and
I think that getting students involved in this process is excellent. Your unit offers
education around anxiety, which is a growing health concern for young people, yet your
lesson also offers information on how to cope with anxiety. The fact that you then get the
students to look at tech for this purpose is an added bonus. Apps, and other technology
are flooding society these days, yet technology can be such a useful tool. Your lesson
offers students the opportunity to learn how to critically assess tech possibilities. Rather
than saying tech is bad or good, young people need to learn to make critical assessments
about the products available to them. Love it!”
Practical use of the Unit. I determined there to be several critical components in
determining the success of my project in regards to the unit itself. I was curious to know if
teachers believed that there was a need to teach anxiety in their own classroom. I also needed to
know if the lesson was inclusive enough for all of their students learning challenges and what
adaptations could be made to better suit their student needs. Finally, I needed to know if unit
allowed for enough creativity by the student so they have the freedom to present the material in a
way they are most comfortable.
I asked teachers if they felt the need to teach students about anxiety in their own class
and, surprisingly, all but one said yes. This was encouraging as it displayed the need for units
about anxiety disorders for teachers in the regular classroom. The one teacher that did not feel
the need eluded that they were teaching in a different kind of environment that was in the private
sector.
When asked to respond to if the lesson was inclusive enough for their students, most
educators said that it was. I did receive a few recommendations for modification. One of the
educators commented that the focus was directed toward high school aged students and that
educator would have liked a modified version for middle school aged students. Another
educator requested having some videos included into the lesson for the research aspects of the
lesson and two of the educators expressed concern for students at different reading levels. It was
expressed that struggling readers a might have problems with the research and presentation
components. I thought that the unit gave enough options to avoid reading challenged students
but I will be taking a closer look when I go back and revise based on these comments.
I designed the lesson with students in mind. I wanted to make it flexible enough so that
they were motivated to learn and comfortable enough to present their findings. I asked the
teachers if they thought I had given the students enough options to show their creativity. As you
can see in figure 11, most agreed that I had added in just enough options for the students to
choose from.
Figure 11. Teachers response to weather there were enough options for students to show their
creativity.
I regret to say that I neglected to include a follow up question to this. For the 14.3% of educators
that thought I had too few, I wish I would have asked what more they thought I should have
added.
Preventing Absenteeism. Feedback was mixed in regards to the use of mental
health apps and preventing absenteeism. Two of the educators agreed that it would and
one thought that there would be potential in a majority of cases as they could help
students to negotiate their anxieties, and reduce the severity and frequency of attacks.
Two educators expressed that it might be helpful but only with other supports such as
health care providers in place. One final comment that I received was that the educator
believed the apps could potentially help but seemed to be against the use of technology
with students. That particular educator added in the following, “I don't really agree with
encouraging kids to resort to technology for help. I can see that it may be an outlet for
them but it's not the right way to go about treating health conditions.” In response to
this, I do agree that students should seek professional help for mental health conditions
but I also think that these apps could help supplement the help obtained by a professional.
Conclusion
Overall, I was very satisfied with the results of my beta testing. I was hoping that more
educators would have participated but I believed I received enough information in order to
critically assess my major project. Conclusions and recommendations will be made in Chapter 5.
Chapter 5 – Conclusions and Recommendations
Overview
This chapter represents the Evaluation Stage as referred to in Chapter 1. The purpose of
the following chapter is to review the results obtained from the major project development and
the field/beta testing. I will provide my conclusions and recommendations to inform future
research and development.
Conclusions
Before beginning this project, my goal was to investigate the use of technology in the
classroom in order to educate students and teachers about mental health disorders. During my
literature review, I found out that anxiety disorders are among the most frequent psychiatric
disorders among children and teenagers and the strategies teens use to adapt are extremely
important in fostering their mental health (Viorel, 2009, p. 96). This streamlined my goal for
examining mental health as a whole, to focusing solely on anxiety disorders and strategies that
secondary school students could use in technological formats.
With my own experience working with students that suffered from anxiety disorders, I
also observed a connection between anxiety and absenteeism that I felt the need to address.
Unfortunately, as I continued further into my research, I was unable to find any research or
evidence that anxiety and absenteeism were connected. I decided that I would add that aspect to
my own research through my field/beta testing.
When deciding on what technologies I would use, I decided to create a website as it could
provide universal and free access for teachers. After seeing Michael Oliveria’s (2014) survey
showing that 25% of students in grade 4 owned a mobile device and 90% of grade 11 students
have their own cell phones, I decided that my focus would be on mobile apps as there would be
easy access for students and low costs for schools.
All of these factors formed my critical thinking question, “Can teachers effectively use
mobile technologies in their secondary schools to educate students about anxiety disorders and
help students that suffer from symptoms? Could these mobile apps also help in preventing
absenteeism?” This is the question that guided all of the stages that were described in Chapter 1.
Reflecting back onto my field/beta testing and the feedback that I received from other
educators, I believe that my project was very well received by most. I was able to create a useful
website for teachers to go to in order to use technology in the classroom and educate students
about anxiety disorders.
The educators that participated in my field/beta testing all had the ability to use mobile
apps in their classroom without restrictions from the school board. There was one exception to
the ability to use the technology from a teacher that had problems with the internet connectivity
in the classroom. All of the educators expressed interest in using mobile apps and believed that
their students would be receptive to them. The only critical feedback that was received about the
use of the apps themselves was that they should be used in conjunction with the help of a
professional in the health care industry, which I agree with, and that there was a cost involved in
order to download some of the mobile apps.
In my field/beta testing, I also inquired as to whether the educators thought that these
mobile apps could help to prevent absenteeism with students that suffer from the symptoms of
anxiety and every participant agreed that they would. Although I did not find any research in my
literature review to demonstrate a connection between the use of mobile apps for mental health
could help with absenteeism, I value the opinions of the participants and believe their feedback
suggests that there could be a connection that exists.
As for the unit plan, my goal was to create a unit where students had as much control
over time, pace and place as possible with the goal of reducing symptoms of anxiety. I also
believe, as Kevin Perks stated in Crafting Effective Choices to Motivate Students, that if we let
learners determine whom they work with, where to work, and how they complete tasks, you
often see a boost in student motivation (p.3). With these aspects in mind, I designed a unit that
was very well received by the educators that participated in my field/beta testing. The feedback
was generally positive and the educators all seemed to feel it was well designed and organized.
The only critical feedback was that the lesson might not be appropriate for learners with reading
disabilities. I did believe that I had given enough options in the development of the unit to avoid
problems as such but that was not the case according to the participants.
Recommendations
After analyzing my field/beta testing, I do feel as though there are a few items that I need
to consider in revising my deliverable and in moving forward with my research in my topic area.
Modifications to Consider. I was surprised to see that there was not more critical
feedback when it came to changes that needed to be made to meet the needs of the educators.
There were some formatting issues that were addressed but some were out of my control.
I added in a hyperlink from the main page to the “Anxiety” page as some educators were having
a tough time navigating to it. I also dropped the additional tabs that were attached to the
“Anxiety” page where teachers could leave their feedback or share their own lessons as I decided
those were not needed for the purposes of the feedback on my project deliverable. Moving
forward, I would like to add in a place for teachers to share their lessons as I feel as though the
more options that we have as teachers, the more likely we are to choose to teach about such an
important topic in our classes.
When conducting my research, I determined that there would be no barriers to
participation when it came to a digital divide as mentioned in Chapter 1, however, even with the
small number of educators that responded there was an unpredicted variable of the lack of WIFI
in the classroom. With this in mind, I feel as though I need to either make it clear in the lesson
that reliable WIFI is needed, or I should perhaps create a separate unit for classes without an
internet connection with a heavy emphasis that many parts of the units will need to be done
during computer class or at home.
I also received feedback that the target audience was not well stated. When I first read
this, I thought an easy fix would be to add the targeted age group to the unit, but with further
thinking, I would rather move forward with creating a more age appropriate lesson for middle
school students in addition to adding the targeted age group to the unit that I already have posted.
I would like to provide options for all educators as the topic of anxiety is so important to teach.
One additional item that will need to be addressed is that some of the educators believed
that the unit might be too difficult for students that read at a lower level. I think that if I create
links to videos for the class or for the individuals to view about anxiety disorders and about
mobile app critiques, I could possibly cater better to all students.
Further Research. Moving forward, there are two items that I am interested in
researching. I would like to further the development of my webpage with some additional
information that I will need additional research to do, and I would like to also pursue my interest
in the connection between anxiety disorders and absenteeism.

For the website, I would like to add additional tabs for other mental health disorders and
include a comprehensive unit plan that includes all previously discussed additions. I would also
like to conduct some research into additional apps that are more appropriate for younger age
groups and possibly create a tab that is solely dedicated to middle school aged students and
possibly even one for elementary aged students. There was also a question from one of the
educators in reference to the fact that they would like a page for apps dedicated to educating
students about mental health. So rather than having the students research on their own, I will
need to see if there are currently apps to educate students about mental health in general. If so, I
could create a separate tab to house these along with a lesson on suggestions for use.
As for researching the connections between anxiety disorders and absenteeism, I am not
clear yet on my direction. I would be very interested in conducting a study on the uses of mobile
apps for symptoms of anxiety and student responses in the prevention of absenteeism but will
need some more time to develop this. This could possibly be part of a larger study or potentially
a Ph.D. focus. For now, I will continue to read and research the subject and try to elicit the
opinions of other professionals whenever possible.
Summary
This project demonstrated to me that there is a demand by educators to bring technology
into the classroom and the need to teach students about mental health disorders. My deliverable
facilitated both of these goals on a small scale.
Referring back to my critical thinking question that was posed in Chapter 1, “Can
help in preventing absenteeism?” I believe that I successfully demonstrated that they can.
Overall, I felt as though my project was a huge success. I was able to develop a
deliverable that teachers could use in order to bring awareness to anxiety disorders with the use
of technology. I also found that with my field/beta testing, I developed more insight on the use
of mobile technologies in the classroom and any barriers that need to be addressed with my
deliverable. I was reassured by the educators that participated in the field/beta testing that there
is a need for the type of website that I developed and I left them wanting me to further develop it
with more apps in different areas. I also received feedback from the participants that these
mobile apps could essentially help students prevent high school absenteeism which, as discussed
in Chapter 2, can prevent many further complications in the student’s adult life such as limited
career choices, decreased income and, in the worst case scenario, suicide. Early recognition and
treatment could ultimately change a students life so it is my intention to help teachers support
students with anxiety disorders in whatever way that I possibly can. This project was my first
attempt at that and I am very satisfied with the results.

References
Anxiety Disorders Association of Canada. (2007). About anxiety disorders. Retrieved from
http://www.anxietycanada.ca/english/index.php
Bonk, C. J., Graham, C. R., Cross, J., & Moore, M. G. (June 29, 2012). The handbook of blended
learning: Global perspectives, local designs. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Canadian Mental Health Association. (2016). Fast facts about mental illness. Retrieved from
http://www.cmha.ca/media/fast-facts-about-mental-illness/#.V0TgoJErJaT
Community Practitioner. (April 2014). Community Practitioner, 87(4), 5.
Harting, K., & Erthal, M. (2005). History of distance learning. Information Technology,
Learning, and Performance Journal, 23(1), 35.
Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (October 2014). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve
schools. San Fransisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Ingul, J. M., & Nordahl, H. M. (2013). Anxiety as a risk factor for school absenteeism: What
differentiates anxious school attenders from non-attenders? Annals of General Psychiatry,
12(25) doi:10.1186/1744-859X-12-25
Jones, S., & Fox, S. (January 28, 2009). Generations online in 2009. Retrieved from
http://www.pewinternet.org/2009/01/28/generations-online-in-2009/
Kearney, C. A. (2001). School refusal behavior in youth: A functional approach to assessment
and treatment. (1st ed.). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

Kearney, C. A. (January 2007). Forms and functions of school refusal behavior in youth: An
empirical analysis of absenteeism severity. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry,
48(1), 53-61. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2006.01634.x
Kearney, C. (2007). Getting your child to say "yes" to school: A guide for parents of youth with
school refusal behavior. USA: Oxford University Press.
MoLeNET.(2013). Learning and skills council. Retrieved from http://www.molenet.org.uk/.
Okazaki, S. (2009). Social influence model and electronic word of mouth PC versus mobile
internet. International Journal of Advertising, 28(3), 439-472.
Oliveira, M. (January 22, 2014). 25% of Grade 4 students have a cellphone: Canadian survey.
Retrieved From
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/01/22/25_of_grade_4_students_have_cellphone
_canadian_survey.html
Peek, H. (2015). Harnessing social media and mobile apps for mental health. Psychiatric Times,
32(3), 33.
Perks, K. (March/April 2010). Crafting Effective Choices to Motivate Students. Adolescent
Literacy in Perspective, 2-3.
Phipps, R., & Merisotis, J. (1999). Whats the difference? A review of contemporary research on
the effectiveness of distance learning in higher education. . Journal of Distance Education,
14(1), 102.
Rector, N. A., Bourdeau, D., & Kitchen, K. (2010). Anxiety disorders: An information guide,
second edition (2nd ed.). Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Centre for Addiction and Mental
Health.
Ronald C. Kessler, P., Patricia Berglund, M., Olga Demler, M., MS, Robert Jin, M., Kathleen R.
Merikangas, P., & Ellen E. Walters, M. (2005). Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset
distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the national comorbidity survey replication. Arch Gen
Psychiatry, 62(6), 593. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.62.6.593.
Sharma, P. (2010). Blended learning. English language teaching journal, 64(4), 456.
doi:10.1093/elt/ccq043
Sharpe, R., Benfield, G., Roberts, G., & Francis, R. (2006). The undergraduate experience of
blended e-learning: A review of UK literature and practice The Higher Education
Academy.
Shippee, M., & Keengwe, J. (2012). mLearning: Anytime, anywhere learning transcending the
boundaries of the educational box. Education and Information Technologies, 19(1),
103/113. doi:10.1007/s10639-012-9211-2
Stevenson, M. (2009). ‘If They Can’t stand the heat …’: Supporting the academic development
of higher education students with anxiety and depression disorders. The Open Rehabilitation
Journal, 210(3), 41-46.
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Health Treatment. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/technology-and-
the-future-of-mental-health-treatment/index.shtml
The Calm Clinic. (June 11, 2016). Teenage anxiety causes. Retrieved from
http://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/teenage-anxiety-causes
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School Communication Northwestern University.

Appendix A - Anxiety Project Lesson Plan
This is the unit plan that was created for teachers to use. It can also be found in the “Anxiety”
tab of the website.
Lesson Plan - Anxiety Projects
Central Inquiry Question: What is an Anxiety Disorder and How can Mobile Technologies
Help Teens Cope?
Objectives: To have students research and report their findings on anxiety disorders as well as
trial a mobile app that claims to help students cope with an anxiety disorder.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Students will develop a general idea of what an anxiety disorder is
2. With the use of technology, develop and present findings on anxiety
3. Research mobile technologies used to help students with anxiety
4. Write a product review with their findings
Note: There are two parts to this lesson. You can choose to do them individually or
simultaneously.
Part 1 – Research and Present
Time:
3-5 Classes
Materials:
Planning worksheet
Tools for production (mobile device, online presentation tool, etc.)
Procedures:
The purpose of this project is to have student’s research anxiety disorders in order to
better understand causes, symptoms, treatments and more.
Students are to use the “What the Heck is Anxiety Anyway??” worksheet while
researching everything they need to know about the disorder in order to create a media
presentation. The students can do this project individually or in groups, it is totally up to you.
To receive full marks, they must address all questions listed on the worksheet as well as include
a vocabulary list that is comprised of at least 10 important words.
There is a list of technological formats on the worksheet, but feel free to allow them to
use any other approved format if desired. The length of the presentations can be left up to you
but be sure to allow for ample enough time/slides to address the following questions.
1. What is an anxiety disorder?
2. Who suffers from anxiety?
3. What are some causes of anxiety?
4. What are some symptoms of anxiety?
5. What treatments are out there to cope with the disorder?
6. Other interesting or important information and statistics

For their vocabulary list, please encourage them to use a reliable source for definitions. They
must put a simple citation at the end of the list.
ex 1: All definitions sourced from Dictionary.com
ex 2: Definitions were sourced from the following:
Oxford Dictionaries Online
WebMD Medical Dictionary
Wikipedia
Evaluation
Presentation rubric can be found on the student worksheet in order to review with the
students prior to them beginning the project. Available to you in this package is a teacher
evaluation rubric as well as a peer evaluation rubric if needed.

Part 2 - App Critique
Time:
1-2 weeks
Materials:
Any mobile device
Free or paid app of your choice
Student blog, wikki, or similar format to report daily findings.
Procedures:
Students will need to research and critique a mobile app that they believe might help
students suffering from anxiety. Students will choose from any of the apps provided here:
http://technologyformentalhealth.weebly.com/
Or they are free to research and critique any other app as long as it is first approved by you, the
teacher.
The students are to use the app daily (at minimum) for a period of 1-2 weeks. Students
will be required to journal, blog, or wikki (or other format if desired) their findings along the
way. If there are privacy issues, you could also have them just keep a journal. You can decide
how often they need to log in new entries. Suggestions for their writing can be taken from the
list of items to include in the critique found below.

Once students have completed a trial period of their chosen app, they will need to
synthesize all of the information that they have gathered and create a product critique. They will
need to post the critique online as a blog or part of an ePortfolio. If the student is unfamiliar with
how critiques are written, they can use the following sites for reference or they can research
other tips on their own.
How to Write a Product Review
How to do a Product Critique
6 Best Practices for Giving a Product Critique
Items for students to include in the critique:
Product Name
App Version
Developer with a link to their website
Platforms: iOS, Android, Web, other
Product Price
Basic Functionality: What exactly is it designed to do?
Who is the target audience?
What are some of the product features?
Visual design: Is it appealing, does it keep your attention?

Ease of use
Pro’s / Con’s
Other useful or interesting information about the product
Could this product help in preventing absenteeism in high school aged students?
Would the student recommend the product?
Evaluation
The app critique rubric can be found on the student worksheet in order to review with the
students prior to them beginning the project. Available to you in this package is a teacher
evaluation rubric as well as a peer evaluation rubric if needed.

Appendix B - Student Presentation Planning Worksheet
This is the student presentation planning worksheet that is located in the resources package of the
unit plan.
What the Heck is Anxiety Anyway???
Name:___________________________
Have you ever wondered what everyone is talking about when they use the “A” word? It
feels like anxiety is everywhere right now. So what is it? Where does it come from? What does
it look like? Can it be cured? It is your goal to find out the answer to these and other questions in
the next few classes.
Once you have a better understanding of the disorder, you get to use your creativity to
present your findings using whatever technological format you like. Some suggestions are:
Powerpoint
Prezi
PowToon
Video
Voki
Piktochart
As you are planning your presentation, it is important to remember all the key factors
involved in anxiety and treatment. Here are a few questions that you will need to address at
some point during your presentation to receive full credit. Use this worksheet to jot down any
information that you find in your research. You can use any credible sources you choose
including the internet, the library, a school counselor, or even a friend or family member that
suffers from the disorder. If you decide to interview people, please audio or video record the
interview to refer to while you are preparing your presentation. You must also include a
vocabulary list of at least 10 important words in your presentation using whatever format you
like. Please include a simple citation to the bottom of your vocabulary list.
Please keep this planning worksheet as it must be handed in at the end of your presentation.
Here is your list of questions that must be addressed:
1. What is an anxiety disorder?
2. Who suffers from anxiety?
3. What are some causes of anxiety?
4. What are some symptoms of anxiety?
5. What treatments are out there to cope with the disorder?
6. Other interesting or important information and statistics

Key Vocabulary:
Evaluation:
Appendix C - Presentation Rubric (Teacher)
This rubric was created for teacher use during presentations

Appendix D - Presentation Rubric (Peer)
This rubric was created for peer use during presentations

Appendix E - Anxiety App Critique Handout
This is the student handout for the critique portion of the unit.
Anxiety App Critique
“There’s an app for that!!”
In today’s world, there seems to be an app for anything you can think of and mental
health apps are no exception. If you were to search for an app to cope with anxiety, you will find
dozens, maybe even hundreds that will fit the bill… but how good are they?
Your goal in this project is to choose a mobile app designed to help with an anxiety
disorder and actually use it for a period of time in order to write a product critique for your peers.
You can choose any anxiety app that you find here:
http://technologyformentalhealth.weebly.com/
You can choose another that you have found on your own… just be sure to clear your choice
with your teacher prior to starting your project.
As you are using the app, you will be required to write about your experiences with it.
This could be in the format of an online blog or journal. How often you need to do this is up to
your teacher. Once your trial period is complete, you are going to need to write a product
critique about the app you chose. In your critique, you must address the following items:
Product Name
App Version
Developer with a link to their website
Platforms: iOS, Android, Web, other
Product Price
Basic Functionality: What exactly is it designed to do?
Who is the target audience?
What are some of the product features?
Visual design: Is it appealing?
Ease of use
Pro’s / Con’s
Other useful or interesting information about the product
Could this product help in preventing absenteeism in high school aged students?
Would you recommend the product?
Please feel free to use these questions to guide your blog/journal entries and if there are other
items to address beyond these, include them in your final critique.

If you have never written a critique before, here are some useful sites for you to get
started on how they are composed
How to Write a Product Review
How to do a Product Critique
6 Best Practices for Giving a Product Critique
Once your critique is complete, please post it online in your class ePortfolio or at the end
of the blog you have been creating about the product.
Evaluation
Appendix F - App Critique Rubric (Teacher)
This rubric was created for teacher to use to grade the student critiques.
Appendix G - App Critique Rubric (Peer)
This rubric was created for peer use to grade critiques.

Appendix H - Apps For Mental Health Evaluation
Screenshot of the Google Form used for beta testing the website.
Appendix I - Anxiety Projects for the Classroom
Screenshot of the Google Form used for beta testing the unit plan.

Lisa Cole Process Paper Final 2016

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Running Head: SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH ANXIETY

Supporting Secondary Students with Anxiety Disorders and Preventing Absenteeism

with the use of Mobile Apps

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF EDUCATION IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP

VANCOUVER ISLAND UNIVERSITY

We accept the Process Paper as conforming to the

Justin Mark, Major Project Faculty Supervisor, Date

Harry Janzen, Dean, Date

continue to develop it with their suggestions in mind.

University, MEDL - Masters in Educational Leadership, BL - Blended Learning

Journey to My Major Project……………………………………………….……………..1

Critical Thinking to be Addressed…………………………………….…………………..3

Brief Overview of the Major Project…………………………………………………...…3

Design /Development and Production Stages……...……………………………..4

Chapter 2- Literature Review……………………………………………….…………….……….7

Teens and Anxiety Disorders………………………………………….…………………..8

Causes and Consequences of Teen Anxiety Disorders……………………………………8

Supporting Learners with Anxiety Disorders…………………………....………………11

Chapter 3- Procedures & Methods…………………………………………………………...…..22

Timeline for the Major Project…………………………………….………………….…22

Major Project Design…………………….………………………………………………24

Resource for Teachers………………………………………………………………...28

Unit Design for Teachers………………………………………………………...28

Unit Design for Students.………………………………………………………..30

Chapter 4- Field/Beta Testing and Findings……………………...….…………………………..31

Methods and Processes…………………….…….………………………………………31

Findings of Beta Testing - Apps for Mental Health……………………………………..32

Restrictions to Mobile App Use in the Classroom……………………………….32

Opportunities for Student Use………………………………………………...…34

Practical use of the Unit……………………………………………………….…37

Chapter 5- Conclusions and Recommendations…………………….………………………...…41

Appendix A - Anxiety Project Lesson Plan……………………………………………………...51

Appendix B - Student Presentation Planning Worksheet………………………………………..57

Appendix C - Presentation Rubric (Teacher)…………………………………………………….60

Appendix D - Presentation Rubric (Peer)......................................................................................61

Appendix E - Anxiety App Critique Handout………………………………………………...…62

Appendix F - App Critique Rubric (Teacher)……………………………………………………65

Appendix G - App Critique Rubric (Peer)……………………………………………………….66

Appendix H - Apps for Mental Health Evaluation………………………………………………67

Appendix I - Anxiety Projects for the Classroom Evaluation…………………………………...68

Journey to My Major Project

reminder before the quiz they have that afternoon.

students learning goals.

make it nearly impossible to function in a regular classroom.

might not have ended up in treatment at all.

thinking question to be addressed in my major masters project.

Critical Thinking Question to be Addressed

help in preventing absenteeism?”

Brief Overview of the Major Project

breakdown of 5 stages of development as follows:

2. Design / Development and

accessible to teachers. In addition to my previous understanding of the consequences of anxiety

found in Chapter 2 – Literature Review.

Figure 1. Planning Stage.

stage of my project design can be found in Chapter 3 – Procedures and Methods.

Figure 2. Design/Development and Production Stages.

can be found in Chapter 4- Field/Beta Testing and Findings

Figure 3. Implementation Stage.

5 - Conclusions and Recommendations.

Figure 4. Evaluation Stage

Could these mobile apps also help in preventing absenteeism?”