Dr. Hoffman teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in educational technology in the College of Education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her research has focused on digital libraries, technology policy, distance education, digital libraries in schools, information literacy, usability of networked information systems, and systemic change at the K-12 and higher education levels. She has served as an administrator in academic computing, as a consultant for the Michigan Department of Education, and worked as a technology coordinator and computer teacher at a private elementary school.

She is an Internet pioneer who worked on the NSFNET project at Merit Network from 1987-1995 and served as the Manager of User Services, Learning Technologies, Eastern Michigan University, from 1995-1998. Her background is in anthropological archaeology and journalism. She earned her undergraduate and masters degrees from the University of Michigan and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Eastern Michigan University. Her hobbies are history and genealogy.