This paper revisits theoretical and conceptual lenses of distance education in order to identify the current state of the art and explore what do we have and then what do we need to provide meaningful learning experiences. The paper argues that the knowledge and experiences gained in the field of distance education provide working solutions and clear walkthroughs to design learning spaces where learners can build a learning community, start a journey with high intrinsic motivation, then interact, and communicate to intellectually grow. [This paper was published in: Proceedings of "Digital Education: 21st Century" (pp. 29-31).]