The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all levels of education has been well documented. In this article, the authors drew on self-study methodology to explore how one member of the research team applied principles of democratic pedagogy in response to COVID-19 enforced changes to a service-learning course in a three-year undergraduate degree. The findings indicate that the disruptions provided a catalyst for the lecturer to reflect on his own beliefs and practices, and explore new ways of assessing students in an SL course. The article discusses the potential implications of these findings for higher education as further pivoting between face-to-face, online, and hybrid teaching becomes commonplace. We see potential for greater contributions from students in higher education's increasingly blended learning environments. We argue that negotiating content and assessment presents a genuine opportunity to engage students in actively thinking about their own learning.