Intro to Computer Architecture: Definitions

Our course's name is Principles of Computer Architecture, but we often hear the terms "Architecture" and "Organization" in the same context. What exactly does each of these mean?

Computer Architecture is the way a computer is constructed/designed, and, as a consequence, the way that it behaves. It includes aspects like the instructions that the computer can understand, the data types it works with, the structure of the processor (will define and discuss the word 'processor' later), the way memory is accessed, and the way input & output devices are connected to the computer.

Computer Organization is about how the computer uses all the given hardware devices to accomplish the goals of the computer's creator/programmer. In short, it is about the way that the computer is controlled (that is, how it works.)

Another angle: Computer Architecture consists of both (1) Computer Organization and (2) the set of all the basic instructions that the computer understands, called Instruction Set Architecture (ISA).