Integrating AI-Generated podcast analysis and collaborative poster creation to enhance equine ethics and welfare education

The pace of change in societal attitudes towards horses used in sport shines a spotlight on equine welfare education. Stepping into that spotlight, we were interested in innovative pedagogical approaches to recruit critical thinking and ethical reasoning amongst undergraduate students. This abstract presents a novel learning framework integrated into the Level 6 Equine Ethics and Welfare module at Hartpury University, that leverages the content of a podcast, AI-generated analysis, and a collaborative in-class activity to facilitate active learning and engagement with the module content. With a focus on horse-human interactions, professional ethics, and welfare frameworks, students were asked to utilise ChatGPT-generated thematic analyses of podcast discussion whilst listening to the podcast with equine industry professional Dr. Mette Uldahl. Through structured group discussions, students explored concepts of veterinary ethics, systemic welfare challenges, and the impact of language on equine welfare perceptions. Groups then summarised the key points of their discussion through the creation of visual posters that were displayed around the classroom so that each group could appreciate the perspectives of others. The posters bridge the gap between academic discourse and practical equine consultancy, helping to develop skills that will support real- world stakeholder communication. The proposed provocation aims to examine educational innovations in shaping equine welfare advocacy and professional decision-making in horse-human interactions. The impact of a flipped classroom and AI-assisted learning on students’ engagement and equine ethics and welfare education will be explored.