diff --git a/mod/lesson/classes/event/lesson_started.php b/mod/lesson/classes/event/lesson_started.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..de377275feb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mod/lesson/classes/event/lesson_started.php
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+<?php
+// This file is part of Moodle - http://moodle.org/
+//
+// Moodle is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// Moodle is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with Moodle.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+/**
+ * Event to be triggered when a lesson is started.
+ *
+ * @package    mod_lesson
+ * @copyright  2013 Mark Nelson <markn@moodle.com>
+ * @license    http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later.
+ */
+
+namespace mod_lesson\event;
+
+defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
+
+class lesson_started extends \core\event\base {
+
+    /**
+     * Set basic properties for the event.
+     */
+    protected function init() {
+        $this->data['objecttable'] = 'lesson';
+        $this->data['crud'] = 'r';
+        $this->data['level'] = self::LEVEL_PARTICIPATING;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns localised general event name.
+     *
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public static function get_name() {
+        return get_string('eventlessonstarted', 'mod_lesson');
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get URL related to the action.
+     *
+     * @return \moodle_url
+     */
+    public function get_url() {
+        return new \moodle_url('/mod/lesson/view.php', array('id' => $this->context->instanceid));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns non-localised event description with id's for admin use only.
+     *
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function get_description() {
+        return 'The lesson ' . $this->objectid . ' was started by the user ' . $this->userid;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Replace add_to_log() statement.
+     *
+     * @return array of parameters to be passed to legacy add_to_log() function.
+     */
+    protected function get_legacy_logdata() {
+        return array($this->courseid, 'lesson', 'start', 'view.php?id=' . $this->context->instanceid,
+            $this->objectid, $this->context->instanceid);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/mod/lesson/lang/en/lesson.php b/mod/lesson/lang/en/lesson.php
index 6400122dbab..106eeb73eba 100644
--- a/mod/lesson/lang/en/lesson.php
+++ b/mod/lesson/lang/en/lesson.php
@@ -172,6 +172,7 @@ $string['essayscore'] = 'Essay score';
 $string['eventessayattemptviewed'] = 'Essay attempt viewed';
 $string['eventhighscoreadded'] = 'Highscore added';
 $string['eventhighscoresviewed'] = 'Highscores viewed';
+$string['eventlessonstarted'] = 'Lesson started';
 $string['fileformat'] = 'File format';
 $string['finish'] = 'Finish';
 $string['firstanswershould'] = 'First answer should jump to the "Correct" page';
diff --git a/mod/lesson/locallib.php b/mod/lesson/locallib.php
index 7011be6e293..0c6370afb34 100644
--- a/mod/lesson/locallib.php
+++ b/mod/lesson/locallib.php
@@ -1191,6 +1191,18 @@ class lesson extends lesson_base {
      */
     public function start_timer() {
         global $USER, $DB;
+
+        $cm = get_coursemodule_from_instance('lesson', $this->properties()->id, $this->properties()->course,
+            false, MUST_EXIST);
+
+        // Trigger lesson started event.
+        $event = \mod_lesson\event\lesson_started::create(array(
+            'objectid' => $this->properties()->id,
+            'context' => context_module::instance($cm->id),
+            'courseid' => $this->properties()->course
+        ));
+        $event->trigger();
+
         $USER->startlesson[$this->properties->id] = true;
         $startlesson = new stdClass;
         $startlesson->lessonid = $this->properties->id;
diff --git a/mod/lesson/tests/events_test.php b/mod/lesson/tests/events_test.php
index 395987b9601..0fb7552abf5 100644
--- a/mod/lesson/tests/events_test.php
+++ b/mod/lesson/tests/events_test.php
@@ -148,4 +148,22 @@ class mod_lesson_events_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
             $this->lesson->properties()->name, $this->lesson->properties()->cmid);
         $this->assertEventLegacyLogData($expected, $event);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Test the lesson started event.
+     */
+    public function test_lesson_started() {
+        // Trigger and capture the event.
+        $sink = $this->redirectEvents();
+        $this->lesson->start_timer();
+        $events = $sink->get_events();
+        $event = reset($events);
+
+        // Check that the event data is valid.
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('\mod_lesson\event\lesson_started', $event);
+        $this->assertEquals(context_module::instance($this->lesson->properties()->cmid), $event->get_context());
+        $expected = array($this->course->id, 'lesson', 'start', 'view.php?id=' . $this->lesson->properties()->cmid,
+            $this->lesson->properties()->id, $this->lesson->properties()->cmid);
+        $this->assertEventLegacyLogData($expected, $event);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/mod/lesson/view.php b/mod/lesson/view.php
index 133c7be80cb..9d54e107304 100644
--- a/mod/lesson/view.php
+++ b/mod/lesson/view.php
@@ -179,8 +179,6 @@ if (empty($pageid)) {
         }
     }
 
-    add_to_log($course->id, 'lesson', 'start', 'view.php?id='. $cm->id, $lesson->id, $cm->id);
-
     // if no pageid given see if the lesson has been started
     $retries = $DB->count_records('lesson_grades', array("lessonid" => $lesson->id, "userid" => $USER->id));
     if ($retries > 0) {