Listening to Save Lives: Designing an Interactive Suicide Prevention Module for Telehealth

aimeewedemeier
Aug 31
3 min read

“I don’t know… I just feel like I’m not really here anymore.” When spoken during a telehealth consult, these words could be a lifeline—or a missed signal. For Community Health Aides (CHAs) serving Alaska Native villages, recognizing and responding to suicidal ideation is not just a clinical skill—it’s a cultural and ethical imperative.

Why This Learning Object Matters

This blog introduces a new interactive learning object designed to help CHAs identify signs of suicidal ideation during remote consultations and respond with empathy, cultural awareness, and clinical precision. Built in Coursebox, the module simulates a telehealth visit using branching dialogue, audio narration, and culturally grounded scenarios.

The module directly supports the AR/VR computer lab proposal for the Anchorage Community Health Aide Training Center, where immersive technologies are being piloted to improve clinical training and health equity (Cueva et al., 2019; Radianti et al., 2020), and is designed to precede AR/VR simulations.

Learning Objectives

Learners who complete the module will be able to:

Identify key signs of suicidal ideation in individuals during telehealth consultations
Implement culturally responsive communication strategies tailored to the needs of rural Alaskan communities
Utilize branching dialogue techniques to enhance engagement and understanding during remote consultations
Evaluate feedback from simulated interactions to improve communication skills and responsiveness
Reflect on personal biases and assumptions that may impact the identification of suicidal ideation

What’s Inside the Learning Object

This multipage, scenario-based microlearning module includes:

Audio narration on every page for accessibility
Flip cards to reveal cultural insights and clinical cues
Drop-down menus for protocol alignment and decision-making
3-question quizzes at the end of each section to check comprehension
Branching dialogue that simulates a consult with Elijah, a young Alaska Native patient
Reflection prompts to support metacognitive growth

Each interaction is designed to mirror real-world telehealth challenges, with feedback tailored to CHA protocols and Alaska Native values.

Designed for Engagement and Reuse

This learning object is:

Interactive: Learners make decisions, receive feedback, and explore multiple outcomes
Accessible: Includes audio, high-contrast visuals, and mobile-friendly design
Reusable: Modular structure allows it to be embedded in Moodle, exported as SCORM, or printed for offline use
Culturally responsive: Content co-designed with Alaska Native advisors and grounded in community context

Why Coursebox?

Coursebox was selected for its AI-assisted course development, intuitive interface, and ability to evaluate open-ended quiz responses. It allowed rapid prototyping of branching scenarios and embedded formative assessments—critical for rural training environments with limited bandwidth and time.

According to Keramida (2021), effective learning objects must be modular, focused, and reusable. Coursebox supports all three, while enabling culturally grounded customization and mobile delivery.

Explore the Module

Ready to explore the module? Visit: www.allthingsidandtech.com/suicide-prevention

While the settings for the module allow anyone access, it is necessary to create a free Coursebox account if you wish to view the object beyond it's landing page.

Summary and Call to Action

This learning object equips CHAs with the tools to listen deeply, respond wisely, and save lives. By combining immersive design with cultural humility, we can transform telehealth training across Alaska.

If you’re an instructional designer, educator, or health leader—try the module, share it with your team, and help us refine it through feedback. Together, we can make remote care more responsive, inclusive, and life-saving.

References

Cueva, K., Cueva, M., & Revels, L. (2019). A framework for culturally relevant online learning: Lessons from Alaska’s Tribal Health Workers. Journal of Cancer Education, 34(4), 647–653. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-018-1350-8

Keramida, M. (2021). The importance of learning objects in instructional design for elearning. eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/the-importance-of-learning-objects-in-instructional-design-for-elearning

Radianti, J., Majchrzak, T. A., Fromm, J., & Wohlgenannt, I. (2020). A systematic review of immersive virtual reality applications for higher education: Design elements, lessons learned, and research agenda. Computers & Education, 147, 103778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103778