What's New in 4.40?
Welcome to ebs release 4.40, our last release for 2022, and the final step in our program of work to replace the Teaching & Learning product suite, creating new Progress and Performance modules in our Ontrack hubs.
This release is our first following the desupport of Oracle and sees the launch of our first SQL-only module, Ontrack Safeguarding. This new module replaces our Pastoral module, which enters a twelve month desupport notice alongside the Teaching & Learning platform.
Changes in the database include new tables for the Welsh IDP, due to be released for first use in 4.41. The IDP enables Welsh colleges to import special needs data in a standard XML format, update it, and export it for another institution. We are proud to be working with our Welsh institutions on this groundbreaking approach, which ensures a learner’s additional learning needs are documented and supported from nursery to university.
As with the previous release, users of ebs: central will be prompted to view the release notes post-upgrade. All changes are documented in the release notes, which we recommend all customers read as they contain key information with regards to product updates and how you can make use of them.
We are particularly grateful to the many sites who spent time discussing their safeguarding, pastoral, well being, and inclusion processes through the development of the Safeguarding module. This development is bespoke to our vocational, further, and higher education providers, and recognises the complexity and sensitivity of the work you do. We will build on this development in 4.41 to add functions around meetings and risk data.
This is the third of three releases in 2022. Each release contains vital updates to security and performance, and we encourage all customers to adopt the new release as soon as possible. Support queries are resolved significantly faster if you are operating on the most recent release. If your institution needs support upgrading, reviewing the health of your data, or preparing for change, please speak to your account manager to arrange support from our Customer Advisory team.
I would like to thank everyone who worked with us to refresh and modernise the Teaching and Learning suite, and gave feedback on the new ILP, Markbook and Safeguarding work. We refer to the new modules as Progress and Performance, recognising the diligence of our customers in enabling learners to thrive, to reach their ambitions, and to establish lifelong learning habits.
Gabi Walshaw, Product Manager for Vocational Learning