A study examined instructional videoconferencing to determine the effects of manipulating the perceived proxemic distance between students and an on-screen instructor on students' recall and attitude response ratings. Subjects, 43 undergraduate students from a multi-section introductory public speaking course at a large midwestern university, were subjected to essentially the same videoconference experience, except that 22 were exposed to a shot content of 51.85% of the screen height taken up by the instructor's head height (the near group), and the other 21 exposed to a shot content of 14.81% of the screen height taken up by the instructor's head height (the far group). Subjects responded to a 10-item fill-in-the-blank instrument after the videoconference. Results indicated that the near group scored significantly higher than the far group. Findings suggest that a videoconferencing environment designed to create the impression of social distance may enhance the ability to recall information and positively affect attitudes concerning the videoconferencing experience; and that designers of mediated learning environments should consider the nonverbal communication construct of perceived proximal distance early in the design phase of course development. (One table and one figure of data are included.) (RS)