# An Organizational and Governance Model to Support Mass Collaborative Learning Initiatives
## 3 Proposed Model  
This section presents our proposed model, but the research method used for this work is initially explained. For the purpose of this work, the design science research process (DSRP) approach [59; 60] is adapted. DSRP is a conceptual process aimed at (a) using a systematic process for conducting (design science) research studies, (b) making the presentation of the research study clear and more understandable, (c) building the study upon prior related literature, and (d) providing a mental model for structuring the research outputs. DSRP paradigm has its roots in engineering and is basically used for the purpose of problem solving and artifact designs. DSRP aims to develop organizational and individual capabilities by the creation of innovative artifacts and the generation of design knowledge. More specifically, the DSRP helped the authors of this study to (a) incorporate principles, practices, and procedures required to carry out the research, and (b) contribute to solving (theoretically and practically) real-world problems through generating, designing, and deploying prescriptive knowledge and novel solutions (proposed model) for the identified problems. Consequently, the generated knowledge includes detailed information about the solutions and providesevidence that shows how the solutions can be effectively used in practice to satisfy the needs of the people dealing with the problems. DSRP involves six conceptual steps, as shown in Figure 1.  
We used DSRP to help design, develop, and validate the proposed mass collaborative learning organizational and governance model (OGM-MCL). This process was performed by following the six above-mentioned steps that are briefly explained in the following:  
1. _Problem identification and motivation_--as pointed out in the introduction, there is insufficient organized information about the structure, main components, dimensions, and features of MCL initiatives. Thus, more input is needed that provides a basis for supporting community learning through mass collaboration. The contributions from this step focus on (1) identifying the main features and specifications of the MCL community, (2) addressing the structural and behavioral aspects of the MCL community, and (3) finding potential indicators that help assess the learning and performance of individuals and community. 2. _Definition of the objectives of the solution_--this step defines the objectives of the research being conducted and indicates the intended solutions. The objectives of this study are defined and explained in Sections 1 and 2. In line with this, an extensive literature review was conducted to understand the background of the area and to consolidate what is already known about the concerned issues. In performing this analysis, the principles and models of collaborative networks were used as an underlying framework. Such a review helped us gain a better view of the existing knowledge, latest developments, and current solutions for the identified problems. Consequently, a model is proposed as the main objective, which intends to provide helpful guidelines and directions for supporting and developing the MCL initiatives. 3. _Design and development_--in response to the identified problems (mentioned in step 1), we proposed OGM-MCL (presented in Section 3.1). OGM-MCL is the main contribution of this study, which is inspired by the contributions and solutions reported in the literature (and partially mentioned in Section 2) in combination with our background knowledge and experience. The OGM-MCL comprises (a) three streams of work corresponding to the organizational part and (b) three phases of evaluation, representing the governance part (see Figure 2). 4. _Demonstration_--this step demonstrates the efficacy of the OGM-MCL in solving the problems described in the Introduction. Generally, the demonstration can be fulfilled  
Figure 1: DSRP steps. through, for example, experimentation, simulation, application to a case study, proof, an illustration, or a project.