Awake Heart¶
Product or Programme · All products and programmes
Evidence · 2 claims (2 mixed) · 2 studies (1 review, 1 theoretical),q2–q3· 1 of 2 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study
Description¶
Awake Heart is a free educational virtual-reality anatomy application that teaches heart structures, functions, and related medical conditions through a narrated interactive 3D model.
Components¶
- Awake Heart VR anatomy tutorial: Awake Heart is a free educational VR application used as the instructional treatment in the study, covering names of heart components, heart functions, and potential medical conditions such as tachycardia and heart murmurs. In it, "study participants explored a highly detailed, anatomically accurate 3D model of the human heart. The treatment combined guided narration with interactive elements that required participants to identify anatomical structures." The video group watched a screencast of the identical tutorial on a standard class projector, with no pausing or rewinding. (Kaplan-Rakowski et al. (2026))
Claims¶
- Immersion principle: people do not necessarily learn better in 3D immersive virtual reality than with a corresponding 2D desktop presentation (d = -0.10 across 9 tests) [~W]
- Immersion in virtual reality adds extraneous load yet can boost transfer, enjoyment, and motivation while leaving retention unaffected [~W]
Related Products and Programmes¶
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Key Sources¶
- Kaplan-Rakowski, R., Norton, S., & Wojdynski, T. (2026). The impact of high-immersion virtual reality on anatomy learning, enjoyment, presence, and cognitive load. Education Tech Research Dev. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-026-10676-1
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
product |
id |
awake-heart |
title |
Awake Heart |
description |
Awake Heart is a free educational virtual-reality anatomy application that teaches heart structures, functions, and related medical conditions through a narrated interactive 3D model. |
status |
review |
product_kind |
software |
generated |
by process:settle-candidates on 2026-10-28 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
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