Student Satisfaction in Social Media–Based Learning Environments: Development, Validation, and Psychometric Evaluation of the CuSAERS (Questionnaire of Satisfaction With Educational Activities Performed on Social Media) (Preprint)

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

BACKGROUND Social media platforms are increasingly integrated into higher education, enabling collaborative, student-centered learning. Yet, few instruments specifically measure students’ satisfaction with these activities across platforms. A brief, valid tool is needed to evaluate perceived quality and guide instructional design in social media–based learning environments. OBJECTIVE This study investigated the use of social media as educational tools in the university environment, with the aim of designing and validating the CuSAERS (Questionnaire of Satisfaction With Educational Activities Performed on Social Media). METHODS Using a mixed and sequential methodology, we explored the perceptions of bachelor’s and master’s degree students in physiotherapy who participated in teaching activities through X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. The first phase of the project identified key dimensions of satisfaction from the literature, expert interviews, and cognitive interviews. The second phase assessed the psychometric properties of the CuSAERS in a sample of 150 students, addressing construct validity, internal reliability, concurrent validity, and discriminant validity. RESULTS Exploratory factor analysis supported a 3-factor structure—perception of learning, task satisfaction/environment, and self-realization—explaining 61.9% of the variance, with acceptable overall reliability. Concurrent validity was supported by moderate correlations with the Academic Satisfaction Scale. Master’s students reported higher scores than bachelor’s students. CONCLUSIONS CuSAERS provides preliminary evidence as a promising measure of student satisfaction with social media–based learning activities; its use should remain formative and cautious until confirmatory and invariance analyses are completed. CLINICALTRIAL No applicable.