SPED-UEW Hosts Virtual Seminar to Equip Postgraduate Students with Digital Library Skills

The Department of Special Education (SPED) at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) has organised a virtual seminar to enhance the digital research capabilities of its postgraduate students.

The seminar, held under the theme “Navigating the Library Resources of the University of Education, Winneba,” forms part of the Department’s efforts to strengthen academic excellence and promote responsible research practices among students.

Chaired by Mrs. Florence Akua Mensah, Head of Department and moderated by Dr. Cyril Honu-Mensah, the session offered a detailed walkthrough of UEW’s vast electronic library resources and plagiarism detection tools. The training was led by two experienced library professionals, Ms. Pearl Joan Korkuyi, e-Resources Librarian and Mrs. Efua Mansa Ayiah, Braille Librarian.

Ms. Pearl Korkuyi guided participants through the e-Library portal, demonstrating how to access academic databases, journals, e-books and digital archives using student credentials. She also introduced effective search strategies and highlighted available support services such as virtual tutorials, help desks and one-on-one assistance from UEW librarians.

Mrs. Efua Ayiah focused on the use of Turnitin, a globally recognised plagiarism detection software. She explained the submission process and provided a practical guide on how to interpret similarity reports. Her session emphasised the importance of maintaining academic integrity and shared best practices for referencing and avoiding plagiarism in scholarly writing.

The seminar concluded with an interactive questions and answers session where students sought clarification on topics such as referencing formats, accessing specific databases and using Turnitin effectively to improve the originality of their academic work.

Participants expressed their appreciation for the insightful session noting that the knowledge gained would significantly enhance the quality of their research output. The Department reaffirmed its commitment to equipping students with the digital literacy tools necessary for academic and professional excellence.

This initiative reflects UEW’s broader mission of promoting inclusive, technology-enhanced learning and fostering academic integrity across all levels of education.