| The purpose of this experimental study was to investigate the impact of the use of a virtual environment for learning Korean history on high school students' learning outcomes and attitudes toward virtual worlds (collaboration, engagement, general use of SL [Second Life], and immersion). In addition, this experiment examined the relationships among learning outcomes, participation in different groups (collaborative versus individual), and changes in participants' attitudes toward collaboration, engagement, fun, general use of SL, and immersion in a virtual environment.;The collaborative virtual learning environment (VLE) in SL was created for a Korean history course whose enrollees were 11th grade students at two different high schools in South Korea. A total of 119 participants were recruited. The study was conducted at the schools over a one-month period in the fall of 2011. The participants were randomly assigned to work in a "collaborative group" or an "individual group." All participants took a pre- and a post-test, and completed pre-, day session-, and post-survey questionnaires.;The results indicate that using a VLE in Korean history classes leads to significantly higher learning outcomes, as measured by the post-test. Using a VLE also had a significant impact on students' attitudes toward collaboration, engagement, fun, and general use of SL, but had no significant impact on student attitudes toward VLE immersion. The results also showed that participation in collaborative groups has a significant positive effect on post-test results and changes in participants' attitudes toward VLE. Furthermore, the results indicate that significant positive relationships exist between post-test scores and attitudes towards collaboration, engagement, fun, and general use of SL, but not immersion. Participating in collaborative groups did not have a significant impact on the relationship between participants' learning outcomes and their attitudes, while participating in individual groups showed a significant effect on the relationship between learning outcomes and attitudes toward collaboration, engagement, and general use of SL. Theoretical and methodological contributions as well as practical implications are discussed. |
