Strange policy. In the first place, I couldn't quite understand if you're required to physically point at the FCU altitude window while reading it out. If yes, why? This sort of parasitic movements are generally discouraged (except for the limited cases of pointing at a control for cross-confirmation purposes) as they increase the risk of something being pushed or moved inadvertently. Also, the idea behind reading the values off the FCU instead of the PFD remains a mystery to me. The FCU is merely an input interface to the autoflight system, just as the mouse or the keyboard to a computer. If it's not communicating properly with the rest of the autoflight system, checking the readings on the PFD is your safeguard against letting the loss of integrity slip unnoticed. I'm all in favour of advancement in workplace practices, but some "new" things literally sound like reinventing the hot water.