The 3D printing revolution has landed for internet communities, artists, designers, and large-scale industry – and the modern futuristic techniques are now working their way into the classroom.

A new initiative has seen Victorian Government-funded science and maths innovation centre Quantum Victoria train its first batch of teachers to use 3D printers in a pedagogical context.

“When they go back to their schools they're able to utilise it across science, technology, engineering and maths, but also arts, history, languages,” said Quantum Victoria's Soula Bennett.

Students are stunned at the entire process, Ms Bennett said.

“They can't believe that something they imagined is real at the end. It's very exciting for them.”

After building his own printing from a fairly simple kit, Sunbury Downs College teacher James Alexander said exciting applications are everywhere.

“For example in a chemistry classroom quite often we're talking about molecules in three dimensions and we try and get the students to picture it and we show animations,” Mr Alexander said.

“To build that deeper understanding, we can get them to design their own 3D molecular structures.

“They can physically print it out, touch it, hold it, see what it looks like,” he said.

The University of Melbourne's David Flanders is a strong advocate of the remarkable devices, saying their can have a very practical place helping schools cut down on wasted supplies.

“Everybody has a storage cupboard where we keep paper-clips and staples and all these products,” Flanders said.

“That storage cupboard can just be replaced with one of these printers.

“When you need a paper clip you just go and collect one and you tell the printer to print up another one.”

More information about Quantum Victoria’s efforts to improve science and maths in the classroom is available here.