Appreciative Inquiry (AI) was developed by David Cooperrider et al in the early 1980s. AI has been widely used for organizational change because it creates a positive energy as people discover common core and design to co-create the future of their organization. In 2012 Jeanie Cockell & Joan McArthur-Blair wrote a popular and widely used book on Appreciative Inquiry in Higher Education: A Transformative Force and applied AI in higher education. In 2002 Jennifer L. Bloom and Nancy Archer Martin developed the appreciative advising model. Originally, in their 2002 article they talked about applying 4D AI model to advising. Then in late 2000s Dr. Jennifer L. Bloom co-founded the Appreciative Advising (AA) and Appreciative Education (AE) movements and developed a 6D model of AA and AE. They added two more Ds – Disarm and Don’t Settle.

4D and 6D Model: Side by Side Comparison

One of the major differences between AI and AE is number of Ds in their approach. AI is a 4D approach (Discovery, Dream, Design and Destiny) and AE is a 6D approach (Disarm, Discovery, Dream, Design, Deliver and Don’t Settle).