| Summary: | The use of Online Social Networking (OSN) for teaching and learning is a phenomenon observed in many countries today. However, the reasons that lecturers use OSN and the explicit narrative of how they appropriate social technologies for educational uses are not well understood. This paper offers
empirical evidence from the first phase of a study concerning the ways lecturers use OSN for advancing teaching and learning. Sixteen lecturers from nine Malaysian universities were interviewed in the period of July to August 2010. Lecturers were asked about their use of Social Technologies (ST) for OSN activities, the processes involved in OSN use, and the benefits and challenges of the OSN use.
The empirical data were analysed using thematic analysis and then mapped to the constructs of Activity Theory, the theoretical lens used for making sense of the OSN appropriation process in this research. The preliminary findings revealed that (1) the individual characteristics of the lecturers are among the main reasons for OSN use, and (2) the process of OSN use can be quite complex and
requires delicate management on the part of lecturers. Finally the paper identifies challenges and opportunities that can be associated with OSN use for advancing teaching and learning for higher education.
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