Until recently, most research in the field of pedagogy dealt with the issue of lecture productivity from the perspective of a teacher. Scientists have been developing new forms of lectures, recommendations for their optimization in changing conditions. Recently, research has started to explore the educational potential of lectures from the perspective of students. However, in most articles, students from an exceptional university or first-year students are the focus of the study (even when the analysis is made in comparison to teachers). In this case, a survey of students from different universities (with different organization of the educational process) makes it possible to determine the dependence of recipients' opinions on the productivity of lectures in higher education institutions on these differences. This determines the relevance of our work, the purpose of which is to describe the students' and cadets' understanding of the didactic potential of a modern university lecture. The research methods used included a system of general scientific methods, such as analysis, synthesis, generalization, and comparison. Additionally, statistical calculations and questionnaires were utilized in the study. The survey results showed that there were common and conflicting positions on the analyzed issue among the two groups of recipients. Cadets learn less material through lectures (compared to students), which contributes to their reluctance to make changes to the way theoretical classes are conducted. Students, on the other hand, are more likely to be open to making changes. At the same time, both are confident in the usefulness of lectures. Undergraduates equally believe that the main thing in a lecture session is the personality of the teacher (his/her charisma, the level of professionalism as a lecturer and as a specialist in the field in which the lecture is given), humor, the desire and ability to interact with the audience, correct behavior, the skill to ask questions, etc. All recipients are eager to receive an electronic copy of the lecture, while cadets are less likely than students to take notes in a notebook during the lecture. Methodological findings about choosing the format of a lecture in this situation worry students and cadets less than the assessment of the importance of the teacher's personality. The results obtained indicate the importance of focusing on the development of the teacher's rhetorical skills, deepening his/her knowledge of the subject, and improving communicative competency. Taking these components into account can form the basis for the development of higher education teachers, determining the practical significance of the study. The theoretical significance of the study includes expanding understanding of the didactic conditions for improving lectures in military and civilian universities.