The lighting design education was recently converted to a three-year bachelor program, from a two-year non-engineering track, in which students' group design exercises resembled a design studio process characterized by high uncertainty, self-anchored problem solving and creativity. Consequently, students who attend this program are less disciplined in engineering, which predominates other educational programs at the School of Engineering. The aim of this study was to map the Lighting design students' ability for a problem-solving approach and their ability to control group design exercises to create a strategy for sustainable change, if necessary. The study employed a mix-method approach. In the quantitative data gathering, an online survey collected 18 students' responses using convenience sampling on the locus of control. Additionally, this survey registered the student's perception of the experienced group design exercise in terms of how concrete (assignment-based) or open (problem-based) the design exercise was. The visualization of this data, together with the locus of control measurement, revealed that students in the first year (N=4), tend to be located centrally with no preference for a problem-solving approach. In the meantime, the second-year students (N=6) developed an open (problem-based) approach to problem-solving, while their overall control in life is still more external. Finally, the trend for the students in the third year (N=8) moves to a more assignment-based approach and more to an internal locus of control. The qualitative investigation involved three focus group interviews (N=13) emphasizing on the following themes: open/closed projects, control, the teacher's role, instructions, demands, realism in the projects, project size, project budget, project time, group dynamics, group size, group roles, leadership, personality, and conflicts. Results reflect a shift in confidence in the ability to exert control over one's own motivation and behavior in the group design exercise. The themes were also reflected in the content of the focus group interviews. Based on these findings and according to the adaptation and implementation of a CDIO's design-implemented experiences, the preparation for introducing small gains for students and staff members were proposed.
