The "gaps" in distance education apply to more than just physical space

As the field of distance education continues to explode, providers (colleges and universities) are faced with many challenges in service delivery. The need to monitor delivery systems in meeting the needs of the unique consumer is becoming increasingly important. Using a model of service quality delivery utilizing the "five gaps of multiple service encounters" (Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry 1985), this paper applies service marketing concepts to the practice of distance education. Focusing on a graduate student population of 1500 distance students, each "service gap" in the model is explored. Those interested in developing distance programs will be able to use this information to increase student recruitment and the retention levels of their distance education students.