Xueersi Study Practice Machine Evaluation Report: Is eye protection really effective?

Caption | TAL Edu

Digital education is developing at an exaggerated speed, not only changing the traditional education model but also giving rise to a series of related learning hardware. Learning devices are undoubtedly one of the popular products, acting as a "home tutor" for children and effectively helping parents alleviate a large part of the tutoring pressure.

However, there are many factors to consider when choosing one. Currently, various products are flooding the market, and parents need to think about many factors: What is the level of teaching materials? How is the hardware configuration? Is more expensive always better? Most importantly, can children's eyes withstand staring at the electronic screen for a long time?

Recently, TAL Edu released a learning and training device, claiming to be an all-in-one learning hardware product that integrates practice, learning, and reading, emphasizing "one device for three purposes." The key point is that it is also the first color screen learning and training device on the market, with a screen that is very eye-friendly.

Some parents may wonder: What is the difference between a learning and training device and a learning device? Does it help children's learning? With authoritative certifications, does it really harm the eyes? DoNews conducted a comprehensive operational evaluation of this learning and training device at the first time, which may provide some reference for everyone.

I. Eye Protection, Must Be Spot On

Many people can feel that nowadays, whether it's a learning device, a mobile phone, or a computer, aside from the resources and hardware configuration, eye protection function is also a popular selling point. Behind this is the public's anxiety about eye health.

But how many products can truly protect the eyes? Especially in terms of awareness, many parents still have certain misconceptions. Their common idea is, "As long as I strictly control my child from using electronic products or use them less, their eyes won't be harmed."

Is this really the case? In fact, aside from some congenital factors, factors that affect vision include poor reading habits (such as reading too close or too far, reading while lying down, etc.) and a bad eye environment (such as too bright or too dark lighting), which exacerbate eye problems. After all, Emperor Yongzheng in history never touched electronic products, but he was severely nearsighted...

The so-called "eye environment" refers to the ambient light when using the eyes. Professor Tao Yong, an ophthalmologist, stated that the most important aspect of myopia prevention and control is "laying the foundation," which means developing good eye habits, and ambient light is a crucial factor.

Some parents may think that electronic products have eye protection modes, so they are meant to protect the eyes, right? However, the eye protection mode is essentially a pseudo-protection.

Scientific research shows that the white light on mobile phones or electronic screens is composed of three types of light: red, green, and blue. The logic behind the eye protection mode is to highlight the red and green light in the RGB color tone through algorithms and reduce the blue light, making the screen light turn pale yellow, appearing less glaring - this is what is commonly known as "blue light protection." Online discussions about the harm of blue light can be unsettling, with claims such as "causing damage to photosensitive cells," "irreversible harm," "leading to macular degeneration," and so on. However, research has shown that achieving such results requires sufficient time and intensity. Ordinary household lighting and electronic displays do not pose a significant risk of blue light harm, and they even emit less blue light compared to natural sources.

Experts have also confirmed this, with Zhu Jin, Director of Vision Health Internet Hospital, stating that research indicates that the harmful dose of blue light emitted by current digital hardware devices is very small, and there is not enough evidence to suggest that the blue light from digital devices can damage the eyes.

However, this does not mean that blue light protection is unnecessary. Zhu Jin added that symptoms of eye fatigue are related to the high-density and high-intensity use of digital devices by individuals, although the specific impact of these hardware on the eyes is not yet clear.

In other words, screen blue light itself does not harm the eyes, but prolonged screen exposure may affect vision to some extent. Parents do not need to prohibit children from using electronic products; instead, they should emphasize moderation and choose products that provide a healthy ambient light.

Nevertheless, learning is a long-term process. For example, a single online class cannot be completed in just a few minutes. Ensuring the eye health of children during long hours of study is a recurring issue for Xueersi Xuelianji to consider.

II. When it comes to eye protection, this screen is serious

The screen size of Xueersi Xuelianji is 10.95 inches, featuring a healthier LCD-type paper eye protection color screen.

Currently, mainstream learning machine screens on the market are mainly divided into LCD, OLED mode liquid crystal color screens, electronic ink screens, and paper-like screens, each with its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of contrast, refresh rate, color gamut, etc.

Some "paper-like screens" — such as diffusing film paper-like screens — are promoted by merchants for providing a reading experience similar to paper books and achieving eye protection effects. However, their characteristics involve reducing screen brightness and sharpness through diffusing film or lowering screen resolution, making the screen appear dim and blurry, seemingly providing eye protection. This is not a healthy eye environment, and reducing brightness to "protect the eyes" is not genuine eye protection.

For instance, e-ink screens often have ghosting effects and require regular refresh. Due to the low refresh rate influenced by the process, flickering may occur. Not only children but also adults may find it strenuous and uncomfortable to look at the ghosting on the screen, affecting the learning and reading experience. Xueersi's use of an LCD color screen with a high refresh rate ensures no flickering issues.

Specifically, Xueersi Xuelianji's LCD-type paper eye protection color screen provides a more comfortable user experience through low blue light and a 9-layer eye protection process, achieving 100% SRGB color gamut and reducing visual fatigue. Particularly in the field of blue light protection, Xueersi Xuelianji has obtained four authoritative eye protection certifications, including Rheinland TUV Rheinland Flicker-Free Certification, Rheinland TUV Low Blue Light Certification (hardware level), Eyesafe Display Standard 2.0 Certification, and SUCA Paper-like Eye Protection Certification

However, protecting the eyes is multidimensional, and parents cannot rely solely on technology. Professor Ho Ming Kwong, Chair Professor of Ophthalmology at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, suggests a scientific approach to eye protection from four aspects:

• Increase outdoor activities, at least two hours a day;

• Reduce screen time, follow the "20-20-20" rule, which means taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes and looking at objects at least 20 feet (6 meters) away;

• Regularly check vision to detect myopia or other eye problems early and wear glasses for timely treatment;

• Establish a health record to monitor the progress of vision.

In conclusion, parents must not neglect other eye protection measures just because of eye protection functions.

III. Practice, Study, Read, One Machine is Enough

Nowadays, children's learning emphasizes a multi-faceted development, not only in reading and learning but also in practicing and extending. To meet the different needs of children's learning and reading, some parents equip multiple products such as study machines, learning machines, reading machines, etc... while the content becomes richer, the child's backpack becomes heavier.

Can one machine solve these problems? The study machine provides a solution in this regard.

From a content perspective, the study machine integrates the functions of a learning machine, a study machine, and a reading machine into one device, equipped with accessories such as a stylus pen and a protective case. Xueersi Study Machine has also achieved the feat of "one machine, three uses": it can be used for answering questions when laid flat, for reading when held in hand, and for watching lessons when placed on a desk.

Known for its "good content," Xueersi has also built a comprehensive and multi-layered content ecosystem in the study machine, matching content for practicing, studying, and reading scenes, which can be switched at any time by pressing a button.

"Practice" is based on AI algorithms, which can generate the next question in real-time based on the child's answer, achieving personalized teaching for each student.

"Study" includes Xueersi's full range of in-school synchronous course resources for primary and secondary schools, closely following the new curriculum standards. It also includes the precise learning Pro function, which categorizes children into basic, standard, and exam preparation modes according to their levels, providing precise remediation for children with different learning situations.

"Read" offers 3,000 selected books, including mandatory reading lists, recommended reading lists by the Ministry of Education, and globally selected reading lists. Parents not only do not need to sift through the vast sea of online books but also save a considerable amount of money.

"One machine, fulfilling three major scenarios" can be said to be a new concept of the study machine, and it is also a rare content configuration in the market. For children, it not only helps consolidate knowledge but more importantly, it cultivates good habits of independent learning Xueersi Xuelingji not only considers multi-faceted education in terms of resource content, but also in terms of the screen. It is equipped with an LCD-like paper eye-protecting color screen, which can adapt to various learning scenarios through different display modes such as original color, color ink, and ink wash.

Especially breaking away from the black and white color scheme of ordinary e-ink screens, it introduces a color scheme. Imagine when a child sees a colorful picture, they may be immediately attracted, which helps to enhance the child's interest and concentration. Colors can also help children better remember important information during the learning process, such as clearly displaying the characteristics of different regions in geography learning; in biology learning, it can present the forms and colors of animals and plants more realistically.

It should be noted that Xueersi's flagship learning device released last year uses an 11-layer future paper eye-protecting screen jointly developed by Xueersi and TCL Huaxing, which has obtained multiple authoritative eye protection certifications. Users can also switch between three display modes: restoring the practice mode of black and white paper writing, the reading mode of color ink visual experience, and the original color mode that restores real colors. This proves that Xueersi has a relatively rich experience base in screen eye protection technology.

DoNews Recommendation:

For learning hardware aimed at primary and secondary school students, it is not easy to ensure both content quality and protect students' eye health. Xueersi Xuelingji has a relatively comprehensive grasp in these two aspects. Of course, each product is suitable for specific user groups, so parents should consider their children's actual needs and personal preferences before making a choice, while also taking into account the cost-effectiveness of long-term use. As for hardware configurations such as battery life and memory, all products are quite sufficient, so there is no need to worry too much