New Perspectives in Science Education

Introduction: The diversity of platforms through which media content is disseminated and the digitalisation are changing the media culture. The future is oriented towards transcultural thinking  and effective career development and that requires new skills. The new 21st century skills are essentials and are now obligatory for every student and copyright literacy (CL), as one of those skills, is a critical part of media and information literacy. CL and the modern media and information literacy in today's digital world go hand in hand and are built into the educational process together. Presentation: As a combination of knowledge, skills, practices for dissemination of information and knowledge in a new innovative way solve socially significant tasks that arise from real situations in everyday social life. In 2019 two scientific projects funded by the Bulgarian National Science Fund started at the ULSIT, the first one entitled “Model for research and increase copyright literacy at the media in the university environment”, financed by the National Science Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria (Contract № KP-06-M35/1 from 18.12.2019, led by Evelina Zdravkova-Velichkova, PhD). The main objective of the project is the research and practical activities related to the formation of the CL of students and professionals in the media. The second one “A Conceptual Educational Model for Enhancing Information Literacy in an University Information Environment” (Contract № KP – 06 – Н35 / 10 from 18.12.2019, led by Prof. DSc Stoyan Denchev, aims to study the state of information literacy, with a special focus of intellectual property literacy in an university information environment among learners and trainers by challenging a civil debate on raising culture on issues of intellectual literacy among academics, which is extremely timely and necessary. The aim of this paper is to study and analyse the nature of CL as a component of the modern media and information literacy. Emphasis is placed on the presentation of two scientific project’s results and research activities in the field of media and information literacy, whose main objectives are related to increasing the competence of CL of pupils and students. Methodology: The paper will make a short overview of the projects concepts, drawing out the main activities, related the paper’s topic. Conclusion: Thanks to the education in CL students will acquire skills that will prepare them for everything that future holds for us. Creating conditions for the development of creative thinking and copyright competency as part of the media and information literacy in a university environment will contribute to a higher competitiveness of learners in the labour market and to the promotion of an active civil society. The connection of both projects is revealed, as they are both aimed at those new skills, essentials for the whole community, especially in university information environment.

Keywords: Journalism, Electronic Media, Traditional Media, Intellectual Property, Law, Media Industry, Copyright.