etween Territories and Screens – Discussions on the Curricular Integration of Extension in Distance Education Courses

Abstract

This study aims to discuss the curricular integration of university extension in undergraduate distance education (EaD) courses, in light of the guidelines established by Resolution CNE/CES No. 7/2018. To this end, a systematic literature review with a qualitative approach was carried out, based on authors who have investigated the potentialities and challenges of this formative process. The work is structured around three complementary axes: the historical trajectory of Distance Education in Brazil and its regulation; the possibilities and modalities of curricular insertion of extension according to current legislation; and the analysis of strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats (SWOT matrix) related to extension practices in EaD. The results indicate that EaD, due to its capillarity and territorial reach, presents broad possibilities for democratizing knowledge and promoting university social responsibility, especially through the articulation with support centers, the use of digital technologies, and the adoption of participatory methodologies. However, the absence of conceptual uniformity regarding extension, gaps in teacher training, and the precariousness of the modality in privatized contexts constitute relevant challenges for the effective implementation of curricular extension. The SWOT analysis synthesizes these elements, revealing that the consolidation of extension in EaD requires planned institutional actions, revision of pedagogical projects, staff qualification, strengthening of territorial partnerships, and the creation of specific monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. It is concluded that extension in EaD should not be seen merely as a technical challenge, but as a political-pedagogical opportunity to deepen the university’s social commitment by educating critical and engaged subjects, even in technology-mediated contexts. 

Keywords: Extension curricularization. Distance education. Educational policy. Higher education. Civic education.