The use of digital technologies in higher education has been driven by a number of underlying assumptions about the affordances of the available technology for social interaction and learning. This trend has not only been advocated by administrators who may argue for digital technologies as a catalyst for pedagogical change and engagement, but rather by the students themselves as they adopt new ways of collaborating and communicating within their social circles. Interacting using Social Media Technologies (SMTs) is a phenomenon in both business (Lygouriatis C (2013), AvantiKumar, (2012) and education (Davis, Deil-Amen, Rios-Aguilar, & Gonzalez Canche, (2012). The increase usage and employment of SMTs in personal, business and education is credited to the advancement of Internet broadband services, mobile devices, smart phones and web-based technologies. Informatics programmes are technological-oriented in nature, hence students and academics themselves would arguably be quite adept at using SMTs. Students undertaking Informatics programmes are trained to thrive in challenging, advanced technical environments as manifestations of the fast-paced world of Information Technology. Students must be able to think logically and learn "how to learn" as "knowledge upon demand" is one of the expected capabilities of Informatics graduates. This rapid change in knowledge and skill sets requires learners to not only be lifelong learners, but to be constantly connected to the field of computing science. SMTs may be the conduit that supports these needs. Despite being an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) hub and having advanced ICT Infrastructure nationally, the use of social media beyond young people in Malaysia for education purposes is still relatively new and little is known about the user experience, intentions, perceptions and acceptance of these technologies by students and academics. This study will investigate the perceptions, acceptance, usage and access to social media by students and academics in higher education in Informatics programs in Malaysia. A conceptual model based on Connectivisim and Communities of Practice (CoP) has been developed to inform the study in terms of how Social Media Technologies (SMTs) can play a role in building a virtual learning community in Higher Education Institution. A significant outcome of this study will be the development of a design framework for implementing social media as supporting tools for student engagement and teaching and learning of Informatics Programs in Higher education institutions in Malaysia. [For full proceedings, see ED557168.]