In the digitalising society, working environments become more and more technological and many services move into the web environment. Future employees’ ability to contribute to the trend can be strengthened by applying information and communication technology in a variety of ways in professional education.

During the research process, four ICT-based applications, artefacts, were introduced in nursing education. We studied their introduction process as well as studying and learning enabled by them. The idea of design research was applied in the research with the aim of finding out if the tested learning environment produces desired results. In design research, development and/or introduction of technological artefacts and production of scientific information are implemented in practical operational environments as a process with repeated cycles of assessment data collection and development after the first trials.

The research scheme was to establish 1) What kind of relation is there between use of ICT applications and nursing students’ self-assessed theoretical learning, for example in pharmacotherapy and asepsis, 2) What kind of relation is there between use of ICT applications and nursing students’ learning and competence reflection during clinical training, and 3) What kind of relation is there between individual differences, application affordances, and nursing students’ learning in the context of the studied artefacts.

The research data was collected from Tampere University of Applied Sciences’ nursing students and teachers in 2006-2014 through surveys, interviews, essays, and online discussion forums. Both statistical and qualitative methods were used in analysis.

The empirical research results were published in four publication volumes. The results showed that use of artefacts can support students’ learning. The discussion forum allows students to share their clinical training experiences and reflect on the learnt with peer students, and the teacher to observe professional competence development (article 1). The independently completed web-based pharmacotherapy course developed students’ self-assessed pharmacotherapy competence in all the studied fields (article 2). The assessment and feedback tool eTaitava supported students in constructing their clinical training objectives, directed their daily work, and supported self-assessment according to the data collected from both students and teachers (article 3). The virtual hospital as a game-like and illustrative environment supported learning of asepsis work according to the student data (article 4).

The relation between the studied artefacts and learning was analysed closer by examining their possibilities in supporting students’ learning. We used a learning model with the following phases: attention, perception, interpretation, storage, and use of information. As a summary of the research we constructed a model on factors of technology-supported learning process. It describes the relations between the learner, studied contents and technological artefact factors and the different phases of the learning process.

The artefact’s learning-related features can be called affordances. Users ob-serve affordances in relation to their current needs. The users’ ability to ob-serve affordances varies depending on for example their history. Learning modifies the individual’s cognitive schemes to new environments and thus people develop as learners as well as users of technology.

The pedagogical ideas of the piloted four artefacts were different. When integrating technology into teaching it is essential to select the right application to each situation. In order to increase digitalisation of education, teachers need to test a variety of new applications. Design research offers a good and practical but disciplined method for this.