Embryonic heart development as an immersive experience: Unveiling learning effects and influential factors in virtual learning environments.

As the quality and availability of Virtual Reality (VR) technologies improve, their potential applications in medical education, particularly VR Learning Environments (VRLEs), are increasingly explored. VRLEs offer a dynamic platform where educators and students can interact, access materials, and engage in learning beyond traditional classrooms. However, questions remain about their long-term learning effects and potential confounding factors. This study investigates these aspects through a VR application designed for teaching heart embryology. For this reason we conducted a user study with medical students in their early years of training (N = 143). Our findings reveal significant short-term and sustained learning outcomes two to four weeks following a single VR session. Importantly, these outcomes appear largely independent of users' technical affinity and are minimally influenced by their immersion tendencies. Instead, the quality of the VRLE and its user experience emerge as critical factors. These results underscore the efficacy of well-designed VRLEs in higher education and highlight key areas for future development.