Today, I shared instructions for the final self-reflections in my Applied Digital Studies course. I wrote to students, "It's been a pleasure to work with you all." Too many of our assessment practices in #highered conceal the heart at the core of this work. 
"As you're working on this self-reflection, consider the statement on grading and assessment from our course syllabus: 'I will not be grading individual assignments, but rather asking questions and making comments that engage your work rather than simply evaluate it.'"
"Write a letter reflecting on your work. Tell me what you are particularly proud of. This is the place to be as honest as possible about your work, both reflecting critically and talking about what you proved capable of in the midst of an incredibly challenging semester."
I went through several drafts of the question that asked what grade they'd give themselves. The first draft looked similar to this version that I'd used at midterm, allowing students to give themselves any grade, but with a note saying I'd be changing all grades to "A."
That version felt like an exercise, and not in keeping with my pedagogies or hopes for this process, so I removed every option except the "A" and added a note asking students to reach out to me if they didn't feel good about giving themselves that grade.
"Because of the current circumstances, I would encourage everyone to give themselves an 'A' for this course, but reach out to me if you have concerns."
At the present moment, turning assessment into a bureaucratic exercise is even crueler than usual. Grading, as much as we are required to do it, should be a dialogue, a point of entry for discussion about when and how learning happens.
Asking students to do self-reflections, and to grade themselves, is an invitation. One way of letting students inside the pedagogies of a course.
The last question for the self-reflections I ask students to do is always open-ended: "Do you have any other thoughts or reflections about the course that you'd like to share?" Over the last 20 years, I've learned so much from students in answers to questions like this one.
