Effects of E-Learning Environment Use on Visual Function of Elementary and Middle School Students: A Two-Year Assessment—Experience from China

This two-year follow-up assessment was performed on 721 elementary (Grades 2–4) and middle (Grade 1) school students who used, and 62 Grade 4 (Control) students who did not use, E-learning environments from schools in Beijing and Shandong Province, China. Statistical analysis included repeated-measures single-factor and two-factor analyses of variance, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). In three assessments over two years, the students’ visual acuity, visual field, depth perception, and horary visual acuity were monitored, along with the related differences and developmental changes and the effect of the E-learning environment on these indexes: (1) For the first time, the average values of four indexes of visual function of the students exposure to the E-learning environment were obtained, among which the ratio of poor visual acuity was still high; (2) visual acuity and depth perception in middle school students was poorer than that of elementary school students, but their visual field and horary visual acuity was higher; (3) for the two years, the four indexes of the visual function of students in different grades showed different change trends; and (4) the comparison for G4 and control demonstrated that the frequency of E-learning environment use (6.75 h/week for G4) had no significant effect on the visual acuity and depth perception of the Grades 4 and 5 students in elementary school but had a significant effect on their visual field and horary visual acuity. However, in all of the included students, the E-learning environment use time significantly affected the left and right eye visual acuity in the students, except in G4.