Robert (Bob) Hoar is a professor of Mathematics and is the Director of the Institute for Innovation in Undergraduate Research and Learning at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. Dr. Hoar earned his Ph.D. and M.S. in Mathematics at Montana State University, and two B.S. degrees, in Mathematics and in Computer Science, from the Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology. In 2003-04, he served as Chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR), after serving for several years as a Councilor in the division.
Dr. Hoar has led several projects that have developed web-based computational tools and related educational materials. In one project, he created an interface between the web and a powerful mathematics software package. He also developed a set of computational tools utilizing this interface. These tools have since been used in many courses from remedial to advanced levels.
In another project, Dr. Hoar supervised the development, by his students, of a web-based “expert” system. For this UW System-funded project, the students developed an adaptive system to aid remedial mathematics students. This expert system tailors feedback and problem sequencing to the performance of the individual.
Dr. Hoar served as Principal Investigator on an NSF funded multi-campus proof-of-concept project in the University of Wisconsin System entitled Applying Advanced Distributed Teaching and Learning to Pre-Calculus Mathematics. The project has evolved to involve faculty led student teams from around the UW-System. The teams are creating Flash and podcast enhanced Learning Objects that present materials for students who are studying math and science in preparation for the Praxis exam (a state licensure content exam for prospective teachers).
