Joely Ramos

Activities Portfolio #2

LEI 4724

Activity Title: Moral Development Discussions

Source: Dattilo, J., & McKenney, A. (2011). Facilitation Techniques in
Therapeutic Recreation (2nd e.d.). State College, PA: Venture Publishing.
Equipment: at least 6 participants so they can be divided into groups of 3
minimum, 3 written out moral dilemmas and corresponding probe questions,
and the Facilitation Techniques in Therapeutic Recreation book cited above
(unless you look for another source to use for moral dilemmas and discussion
questions)
Activity Description: Moral development discussions are a great tool to
challenge people ranging from all ages, at any stage in their lives to reflect
on their true beliefs and values. This in turn can create more confidence and
good moral decisions within a population. According to Dattilo and
McKenney (2011), moral development discussions use ethical dilemmas
written to challenge participants to examine their thinking about moral
issues such as social norms, conscience, life, and truth. For this activity, first
choose 3 moral dilemmas from pages 235-240 from the book Facilitation
Techniques in Therapeutic Recreation by Dattilo and McKenney (2011). Make
sure the 3 scenarios you choose fit your group appropriately and do not
exceed their understanding. Secondly, read one of the three scenes you have
chosen from the cited book. Make sure to repeat yourself and/or emphasize
the parts you want participants to remember. Third, have participants
identify the dilemma so you know that they are all on the same page and
have understood the main conflict. Fourth, as Dattilo and McKenney (2011)
mention, include the major elements of the dilemma story which are: (a) a
central individual or group of people that participants can make moral
judgements concerning what the person(s) should do; (b) a genuine conflict
for the involved individual(s); (c) a central focus related to a moral issue; and
(d) a should question. Finally, split the group of participants into groups of
3 or more and have them answer and discuss within their groups the probe
questions provided in the facilitation book. If other questions arise, you may
consider expressing them to the whole group. End by having participants
reflect on the exercise.
Leadership Considerations: A therapeutic recreation (TR) specialist is
adequate for leading this activity. You would want someone that can
enthusiastically lead participants and keep their attention focused on the
discussion, so preferably a TR specialist with a background in public speaking
or notable communication skills. Depending on the size of the group and
availability, there should be more than one TR specialist in the room. You can
set it up so the TR specialists are walking around the room and participating

Joely Ramos

Activities Portfolio #2

LEI 4724

a little bit in each group, or there can be a TR specialist in each group for
more direct attention.
Adaptions: Participants with Gambling Disorder (GD): GD is the
constant behavioral pattern of gambling despite negative consequences or
a desire to stop (National Center for Responsible Gaming [NCRG], 2012).
Many times this disorder comes followed by poor social skills, criminal
behavior, depression, and/or suicide ideation (Porter, 2015). To better adapt
this moral development discussions activity for people with GD, many steps
can be taken into consideration. Porter (2015) says that often times, those
with GD need to learn about alternative leisure opportunities in order to
replace gambling. Adapting by adding a section to the activity where
participants brainstorm what the person in the dilemma could have been
doing that would have resulted in a positive outcome, instead of what they
were doing in the scenario, could help with leisure education pushing them
to reconsider their own leisure choices. Also, having participants stand up
and formally present their ideas would adapt to them by emphasizing the
importance of conflict resolution, identification and appropriate verbalization
of feelings, and refusal skills (Porter, 2015). The National Center for
Responsible Gaming (NCRG) (2012), suggests adapting activities for people
with GD by using strategies similar to those used for people with alcohol
abuse behavior. Situations that people with alcohol addictions go through
can be used as relatable examples and dilemmas to learn from and discuss.
Participants considered at-risk youth: Youth considered to be on an
at-risk continuum are normally either placed in remote, imminent, or at-risk
category activity. Regardless of where they are categorized most at-risk
youth are hesitant in trusting others, including those who are close in age to
them. However, there is a higher probability for openness in this activity if it
is adapted. According to Robertson and Long (2008), programs using such a
strategy should target youth who are at increased risk based on GROUP
characteristics rather than on INDIVIDUAL characteristics. In other words,
for this activity participants who are at-risk should be placed strategically
into groups with other participants that struggle at the same level of risk as
them. One group can be struggling academically, while another can be
struggling with criminal behavior and legal issues, so adapting the placement
of groups rather than picking groups sporadically is helpful in this activity for
this disorder. Next, a system of keeping score can be implemented into the
moral development discussions in order to reinforce academic skill
development and challenge experiences (Robertson & Long, 2008). Witt and
Crompton (1996) suggest avoiding one-shot programs by making this
intervention longer than just one session. Both sources for this disorder say

Joely Ramos

Activities Portfolio #2

LEI 4724

to sustain outcomes, intervention approaches must be of sufficient

duration and not just a one-time effort (Robertson & Long, 2008).
Adaptations References
National Center for Responsible Gaming (2012). Increasing the odds: A series
dedicated to understanding gambling disorders, 7, What Clinicians
Need to Know About Gambling Disorders. Washington, D.C.: NCRG.
Porter, H. R., Ph.D., CTRS (Ed.). (2015). Recreational therapy for specific
diagnoses and conditions. Enumclaw, WA: Idyll Arbor.
Robertson, T., & Long, T. (2008). Foundations of Therapeutic Recreation:
Perceptions, philosophies, and practices for the 21st century.
Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Witt, P. A., & Crompton, J. L. (1996). The At-Risk Youth Recreation Project.
Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 14(3), 1-9. Retrieved
from https://www.researchgate.net/