Anxiety in college students is at an all-time high, and the online learning environment can inadvertently add to that anxiety. Instructors and instructional designers play a vital role in supporting these online learners. While online learner anxiety around belonging and technology use have been studied, little research exists around course and course material design and its effect on the anxiety of learners. Knowing what aspects of course and course material design cause or relieve anxiety in these learners can inform instructors and instructional designers as they build or create courses and learning materials. This study used a qualitative survey to explore the effect of applying four multimedia principles to six scenarios in a digital textbook on the anxiety levels of online college students. Participants shared which of the applications of the four multimedia principles reduced their anxiety and explained why scenarios affected their levels of anxiety. This feedback offered implications for which multimedia principles have the greatest impact on the online learner's anxiety and potential recommendations for applying the four principles in instruction. Three overarching themes that cause anxiety emerged from the body of participant feedback: anxiety around the time involved in completing instruction, anxiety about if they would remember the content, and anxiety about whether or not the instruction would keep their attention. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]