CQUniversity Noosa-based arts education lecturer Dr Sue Davis recently met internationally renowned arts luminary Elliot Eisner, when she attended an arts-based research conference in Phoenix, Arizona.

The conference was attended by hundreds of academics from the USA and a range of other countries, with a contingent of Australian academics.

Australian academics with Elliot Eisner at a recent conference in Arizona. L-R Robyn Gibson, Lexi Cutcher, Elliot Eisner, Sue Davis, Lariane Fonseca, Margaret Baguley, Robyn Ewing

Among the keynotes was arts education professor Elliot Eisner who has written many significant books and articles over the past 40 years.

"Along with other researchers such as Howard Gardner, Eisner has drawn attention to the ways that many conceptions of cognition are limited in that they do not recognise the different ways that people can process and express their thinking," Dr Davis said.

"He has continually argued that students need access to a range of learning experiences in different art forms and symbol systems to be able to build knowledge, make meaning and express their learning."

As well as meeting Eisner, Sue presented a paper and networked with other teacher education and arts education academics.