I think if we did receive some advanced knowledge it would do us little good. Imagine someone sending back the plans for a cell phone to the 1700's. Not only would it be unintelligible, more akin to magic, but the needed components could never be made even if they understood the concepts. The industrial technology would not be in place to make the pieces needed to put it together, and it would be useless anyway since the technology relies on more than just thing you hold in your hand.

The same would be for use if an advanced civilization, advanced AI, advanced (fill in the blank) dropped advanced information on us from wherever. I doubt we could understand it, and even if we could understand it, would we even have the technology to put it to use. Advanced knowledge almost always requires advanced technology or some sort of advanced infrastructure in order to make the knowledge practical. You never gain knowledge by fiat.

This is why progression is is the only way to gain knowledge that can really be used. Progression lays the foundation for knowledge by supplying the materials and the infrastructure needed in order to use the knowledge.