Online learning is now achieving recognition as offering a way for learning to scale. However we need to learn from the experiences in distance learning institutions. The Open University was established over 40 years ago and offers a unique experience in building a distance learning organisation on innovative use of media, originally through broadcast, then technologies such as video and DVD, to the current use of online as an integrating element. This paper draws together lessons from how the OU has made use of media and the way it can build learning journeys. Analysis then relates this history to an ecological model that has enabled a resilient and innovative approach that can apply more widely to other organisations seeking to offer online education.