This interesting play on words, producer and consumer, was coined by Alvin Toffler in 1980. It refers to the idea that an individual, in the age of technology, plays the role of both a producer and consumer simultaneously. With the constant availability of rich online resources and technology, any individual is empowered enough to equip themselves with necessary knowledge and then produce/improve it for others. Example of this could be the discussion forums where people can join in with their expertise and help each other out with their problems. A more suitable example is that of YouTube. It is a platform that enables an individual to be more than a consumer as they can engage in more than just pausing and playing the video. With the comment section and now even the forum, people can come together to share their thought and opinions about the content, which is received by the creator who then makes changes accordingly. This way individuals are producing the content they consume. Prosumer concept is also prevalent in the commodity market as with technology advancement, the data points for research have grown exponentially. Companies constantly keep in contact with their consumers via social media and gather their data of the type of products they have the most positive response towards. Products are customized to an extent of what the consumers like; making consumers producers as well.

What impact has it had on learning? It has broken down the linear progression of knowledge and communication. Traditionally, the knowledge was concentrated in the center, in the shape of a teacher/mentor. But now, it has become more fluid as it has become participatory in nature. No longer is the teacher the sole authority on complex ideas. A student who has interacted with online material can also acquire the same knowledge without a degree or even that experience. Due to this decentralization of knowledge, classes are becoming more collaborative where peers learn from each other and through that identify the gaps there are, and then work on the gaps. In a nutshell, learning is no longer just transmission of knowledge, it is the simultaneous production of it too.

References: 

1. Leong, S. (2017). Prosumer Learners and Digital Arts Pedagogy. The Oxford Handbook Of Technology And Music Education, 412-420. doi: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199372133.013.39

2. Vikram, A. (2016). The rise of PROsumers (And what it means for CONsumer companies). Retrieved March 2020, from https://medium.com/@aditya.vikram/the-rise-of-prosumers-and-what-it-means-for-consumer-companies-26d408325934