I agree somewhat, however I wouldn't place a large emphasis on it at the first section... maybe section 2 or 3. There are some parts that are valuable to keep in mind all the time from HCI, but I don't think the hard numerical science is really salient for most people looking to break into the field. Find the threshold of academia vs practical application and stay firmly in the latter when sharing course materials.
Both Fitt's and Hicks' law were found in the 50s by experimental psychologists. They are hardly exclusive to HCI.
BTW, a good application of Hicks' law is in a book called "The psychology of menu selection: Designing cognitive control at the human/computer interface" (POMS) by Kent Norman. There is an online version:
