Types of small groups for instructional purposes, and procedures, structure, and practical arrangements are discussed, and reference is made to the British system. It is suggested that an orderly beginning to small group work best suits novice tutors and inexperienced students. In some subjects tightly organized group work may become progressively less structured as students mature. Attention is directed to how the organization of group work in different forms might develop through a degree course, and whether formal rules are necessary to ensure orderly procedures. The following practical constraints limit a tutor's freedom to organize group work: it has to be fit in with syllabus requirements, timetables, assessment, and what is taught elsewhere. It is proposed that the tutor and students discuss what the group is going to do, and how their work is to be ordered, before working meetings begin. This preliminary discussion is especially important in small group work where learning is intended to be cooperative. Finally, the tried and proven patterns of small group work are examined: the seminar, other structured groups, syndicates, associative discussion groups, and tutor-less groups. Illustrative examples of how small group work can be organized are included. (SW)