Digital Transformations in Higher Education: Challenges and Perspectives in the Post-Pandemic Context

Abstract

This article critically analyzes the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Brazilian higher education, focusing on digital transformations, structural inequalities, and pedagogical implications. Adopting a qualitative and exploratory approach, based on bibliographic review and documentary analysis, the study investigates the emergency use of digital technologies in response to the suspension of face-to-face academic activities. The findings reveal that while Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) enabled the continuity of academic operations, it also exacerbated historical weaknesses in the educational system, such as digital exclusion, teacher overload, and the precarization of academic labor. The article discusses the inadequacy of public policies in meeting the demands of remote education and highlights the risks of “uberization” of teaching practices. The conclusion emphasizes the urgent need for a planned, inclusive, and critical digital transformation—one that considers not only technological tools, but also the real conditions of educators and students. The study offers reflections on hybrid models and sustainable pedagogical alternatives in the post-pandemic context.