The Open Learning or Distance education system is a teaching learning process where teachers and learners are not assembled in a prior settled place called schools and colleges. There is proper distance between teachers and learners. They never interact like traditional teaching learning process. In this concept the teaching learning process involves self learning material (S.L.M.) and technical media. In a generic term Distance education is a synonym of open distance learning system. In modern terms we use open distance learning system instead of distance education. In this process teachers and students do not meet as they do. Actually distance education is a process of democratizing teaching and learning of knowledge, which was often kept secret in the traditional/classroom teaching –learning process.

Keywords: Self Learning Material, Multimedia, Democratizing.