The rapid development of collaborative activities (particularly beyond geographical boundaries) and the increasing demand for lifelong learning have opened immense opportunities for learners worldwide. Mass Collaborative Learning, as an emerging approach, shifts away from traditional teacher-centered milieu to self-driven learning practices where a large number of learners at various performance levels collectively work toward reaching a common goal. The implementation and development of mass collaborative learning communities however requires both further progress in understanding the involved processes and addressing the key affecting factors. Therefore, as a contribution in this context, a reference model for mass collaborative learning is pursued, aiming to facilitate the understanding of related concepts and highlighting the main internal and external components. Preliminary results of this research work are discussed.