Comparisons are drawn between the Keller Plan in Britain and Distant Learning in Germany in the areas of: (1) fundamental aims of education; (2) instructional materials and instructional systems; (3) guidance and direction of the learning process; (4) social learning; (5) assessment and examinations; (6) study techniques; (7) teacher training; and (8) cost-benefit. It is concluded that the Keller Plan provides a microcosm of an open university system in many ways, and that some of the problems the British Keller Plan and the German Distant Learning system have in common can be studied more easily through the kind of detailed investigation made possible by the small scale of the Keller Plan and its close contact between staff and students. It is also concluded that there are matters fundamental to individual study that transcend variations in conditions and circumstances. (23 references) (GL)