Realizing I Knew Web 2.0 Before I Knew the Name

Working on the Produsage assignment was one of those moments where everything just clicked. As I sat down to design my project and reflected on the concept of Web 2.0, I realized something surprising—I had already been part of the Web 2.0 world for years. I just didn’t know that’s what it was called.

From contributing to community Facebook groups in Nepal, to posting educational updates on the Kids of Kathmandu YouTube channel, to organizing digital resources for teachers, I had been participating, creating, and collaborating online long before I encountered the term “produsage.” It was like rediscovering my own work through a new lens.

This assignment gave me the language and framework to understand what I had already been doing. It showed me that my informal learning efforts, digital community building, and user-generated content weren’t just side projects; they were meaningful examples of how learning can happen through shared creation and participation.

Designing the Digital Classroom project based on the Kids of Kathmandu work felt natural, but also empowering. I saw how the tools I used, Facebook and YouTube, were not just platforms. They were learning environments, performance support systems, and spaces for equity and access. Suddenly, my past experiences made more sense and carried more weight.

This realization made me appreciate the course even more. It reminded me that learning is not always about discovering something new; it’s also about finding the right words and frameworks to describe what you already know in your bones. Web 2.0 was already part of my story. This assignment just helped me name it.

Comments

  1. HBJuly 30, 2025 at 1:40 PM

    I totally agree! I hadn't used the term Web 2.0 prior to this class, but I realized through the semester that it was actually a big part of my life without me even recognizing the ways it functioned in my life. I especially hadn't realized how much I was using Web 2.0 to learn new things! I'm glad the framework was helpful for you too. It was nice to "meet" you (virtually), and I wish you the best of luck on the rest of your studies!

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    Replies
    1. AyaJuly 31, 2025 at 8:46 PM

      Same for me as well. I never heard of Web 2.0 or Produsage before this class. I've been trying to find different approaches to eLearning and I think this class has filled many of the gaps that I had.

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  2. StephenJuly 30, 2025 at 7:51 PM

    Hi Aastha B,

    I think theory can be so powerful when we apply it retroactively to our practice. As an English teacher at an elementary school in Seoul, Korea, I wondered why some activities just worked and others didn't. After my Master's I could actually examine those experiences and put names to those experiences. Linguistic interference, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, positive reinforcement, positive punishment -- all terms that help me describe what I was experiencing in my classroom.

    In the same way, our Web 2.0 class has given us power by being able to name these phenomena that we have experienced. It also helps us rationalize and explain to relevant stakeholders why it is important and should be a part of formal curriculum.

    I wish you the best in your academic pursuits in the US! I humbly resonate with those who dwell at the edge of belonging, suspended between the world they left and the one they now inhabit. Take care!

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