Immersive virtual reality learning environments (IVRLEs) are increasingly used in medical education, yet the role of environmental fidelity-particularly scene design-remains underexplored. This study examines how varying levels of fidelity and contextualization affect motivational and cognitive outcomes. Eighty-seven medical students were randomly assigned to one of three scene conditions: a minimalistic "Blank Scene," a "Reconstructed Classroom Scene", or an "Inside-Human Scene". All students used a custom-developed application to learn about embryonic heart development. We measured virtual presence, intrinsic motivation, cognitive load, learning outcomes, and usability. Results showed that scene design influenced virtual presence, selected aspects of intrinsic motivation, cognitive load, and learning outcomes. The Inside-Human Scene elicited higher physical and self-presence as well as higher comprehension scores compared to the Reconstructed Classroom Scene. The Reconstructed Classroom Scene was associated with higher extraneous cognitive load. Intrinsic cognitive load was rated higher in the Inside-Human Scene, while germane cognitive load did not differ between conditions. No significant differences were found for task performance or factual recall. Overall, the findings indicate that scene design in IVRLEs affects how learners engage with complex content and may support deeper understanding when perceptual and contextual properties are coherent, while visually detailed environments may increase extraneous cognitive demands without improving learning.

Where traditional media and methods reach their limits in anatomy education, mixed-reality (MR) environments can provide effective learning support because of their high interactivity and spatial visualization capabilities. However, the underlying design and pedagogical requirements are as diverse as the technologies themselves. This paper examines the effectiveness of individual- and collaborative learning environments for anatomy education, using embryonic heart development as an example. Both applications deliver the same content using identical visualizations and hardware but differ in interactivity and pedagogical approach. The environments were evaluated in a user study with medical students (n = 90) during their examination phase, assessing usability, user experience, social interaction/co-presence, cognitive load, and personal preference. Additionally, we conducted a knowledge test before and after an MR learning session to determine educational effects compared to a conventional anatomy seminar. Results indicate that the individual learning environment was generally preferred. However, no significant difference in learning effectiveness could be shown between the conventional approach and the MR applications. This suggests that both can effectively complement traditional seminars despite their different natures. Our study contributes to understanding how different MR settings could be tailored for anatomical education.

In the embryonic human heart, complex dynamic shape changes take place in a short period of time on a microscopic scale, making this development difficult to visualize. However, spatial understanding of these processes is essential for students and future cardiologists to properly diagnose and treat congenital heart defects. Following a user centered approach, the most crucial embryological stages were identified and translated into a virtual reality learning environment (VRLE) to enable the understanding of the morphological transitions of these stages through advanced interactions. To address individual learning types, we implemented different features and evaluated the application regarding usability, perceived task load, and sense of presence in a user study. We also assessed spatial awareness and knowledge gain, and finally obtained feedback from domain experts. Overall, students and professionals rated the application positively. To minimize distraction from interactive learning content, such VRLEs should consider features for different learning types, allow for gradual habituation, and at the same time provide enough playful stimuli. Our work previews how VR can be integrated into a cardiac embryology education curriculum.

Glaciated regions are known to be particularly sensitive to climate change. Historical archives of glacier volume change are important, as they provide context for present-day changes. Although photogrammetric archives exist for many regions, their usefulness is often limited by a lack of contemporary ground control. High quality digital elevation models (DEMs) underpin a range of change analysis activities. This paper presents a cost-effective solution which utilizes Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) DEMs as control for the scaling and orientation of archival data sets. Instead of relying upon ground-control points, a robust surface matching algorithm is employed to automatically determine the transformation required to register two overlapping DEMs. Through application to the Slakbreen glacier system in Svalbard, Norway, the strategy is assessed by first matching an ASTER DEM to a fixed lidar reference surface. This demonstrates that ASTER DEMs are effectively correct in scale, supporting their use as a control surface. The second stage of the research implements this by matching an aerial photogrammetric DEM to an ASTER reference surface. Resultant volumetric and annual elevation change rates are compared to those derived from lidar data, which are considered in this paper as a truth data set. ASTER-based matching produced a mean annual elevation change rate of$-4.12\ \hbox{ma}^{-1}$, compared to a value of$-4.11\ \hbox{ma}^{-1}$derived from the lidar data. In volumetric terms, this equates to a difference of 0.6%. A major advantage of this approach is the near-global coverage offered by ASTER data and the opportunity that this presents for remote glacial change analysis over regional extents.