Some things never change....
I've started doing a Diploma of Business Management. Work is paying for it, and it's competency based, so I don't have to do the whole going to uni classes businesss (which is good,because I don't learn in a Uni environment
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Your problem is common among experienced non-fic writers. Also common to smart people. A TA visiting from France once told me my lab report was too laconic; he gave me full marks for content, though, so I obviously hadn't left anything out. As a technical writer my clients appreciated not having to read reams of procedures to get to the point. And check out my Opportunities story -- my first beta mentioned that it was very sparse.
So, yeah, I hear where you're coming from when asked to fill things out.
Reading more into the question doesn't mean using more words to say the same thing. It means supporting the answer you've already given.
The method that works for my son and me is to pretend the audience is a year or two (or more) behind you in knowledge. They haven't read the story under discussion, haven't taken the course before the current one. They may even have common mis-perceptions. "He took an umbrella because it was going to rain," vs "He took an umbrella because the forecast he heard that morning said it would rain that afternoon, and he hated getting his hair wet in the rain."
Give them reasons and show some of your thinking process. "Use black thread for outlining," vs "Use black thread for outlining; it contrasts sharply with the pure white and sets off the red."
Quote a few of those textbooks they sent you (complete with footnotes), and maybe another book or magazine in a partly-related field; scan the trade magazines that enter your office for articles that might be useful in this module or later ones. If in doubt, try some of the management books in the library.
They're looking, not for you to parrot the final answer, but for proof that you read and understood the material, and can apply it in other situations.
Hope this helps!
Cricket
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