diff --git a/course/format/classes/base.php b/course/format/classes/base.php
index ba63e27851f..644a8b5d72f 100644
--- a/course/format/classes/base.php
+++ b/course/format/classes/base.php
@@ -693,6 +693,7 @@ abstract class base {
      * @param array $options options for view URL. At the moment core uses:
      *     'navigation' (bool) if true and section has no separate page, the function returns null
      *     'sr' (int) used by multipage formats to specify to which section to return
+     *     'expanded' (bool) if true the section will be shown expanded, true by default
      * @return null|moodle_url
      */
     public function get_view_url($section, $options = array()) {
@@ -712,6 +713,14 @@ abstract class base {
             return null;
         }
         if ($this->uses_sections() && $sectionno !== null) {
+            // The url includes the parameter to expand the section by default.
+            if (!array_key_exists('expanded', $options)) {
+                $options['expanded'] = true;
+            }
+            if ($options['expanded']) {
+                // This parameter is being set by default.
+                $url->param('expandsection', $sectionno);
+            }
             $url->set_anchor('section-'.$sectionno);
         }
         return $url;
diff --git a/course/format/classes/output/local/content/section.php b/course/format/classes/output/local/content/section.php
index e47b21c8729..dcac5d6b982 100644
--- a/course/format/classes/output/local/content/section.php
+++ b/course/format/classes/output/local/content/section.php
@@ -318,14 +318,7 @@ class section implements named_templatable, renderable {
             $data->collapsemenu = true;
         }
 
-        $data->contentcollapsed = false;
-        $preferences = $format->get_sections_preferences();
-        if (isset($preferences[$section->id])) {
-            $sectionpreferences = $preferences[$section->id];
-            if (!empty($sectionpreferences->contentcollapsed)) {
-                $data->contentcollapsed = true;
-            }
-        }
+        $data->contentcollapsed = $this->is_section_collapsed();
 
         if ($format->is_section_current($section)) {
             $data->iscurrent = true;
@@ -335,4 +328,30 @@ class section implements named_templatable, renderable {
         }
         return true;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns true if the current section should be shown collapsed.
+     *
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    protected function is_section_collapsed(): bool {
+        global $PAGE;
+
+        $contentcollapsed = false;
+        $preferences = $this->format->get_sections_preferences();
+        if (isset($preferences[$this->section->id])) {
+            $sectionpreferences = $preferences[$this->section->id];
+            if (!empty($sectionpreferences->contentcollapsed)) {
+                $contentcollapsed = true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        // No matter if the user's preference was to collapse the section or not: If the
+        // 'expandsection' parameter has been specified, it will be shown uncollapsed.
+        $expandsection = $PAGE->url->get_param('expandsection');
+        if ($expandsection !== null && $this->section->section == $expandsection) {
+            $contentcollapsed = false;
+        }
+        return $contentcollapsed;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/course/format/tests/base_test.php b/course/format/tests/base_test.php
index d22422895c2..fccc7686d75 100644
--- a/course/format/tests/base_test.php
+++ b/course/format/tests/base_test.php
@@ -235,6 +235,26 @@ class base_test extends advanced_testcase {
         $CFG->linkcoursesections = 1;
         $this->assertNotEmpty($format->get_view_url(1, ['navigation' => 1]));
         $this->assertNotEmpty($format->get_view_url(0, ['navigation' => 1]));
+
+        // Expand section.
+        // The current course format $format uses the format 'testformat' which does not use sections.
+        // Thus, the 'expanded' parameter does not do anything.
+        $viewurl = $format->get_view_url(1);
+        $this->assertNull($viewurl->get_param('expandsection'));
+        $viewurl = $format->get_view_url(1, ['expanded' => 1]);
+        $this->assertNull($viewurl->get_param('expandsection'));
+        $viewurl = $format->get_view_url(1, ['expanded' => 0]);
+        $this->assertNull($viewurl->get_param('expandsection'));
+        // We now use a course format which uses sections.
+        $course2 = $generator->create_course(['format' => 'testformatsections']);
+        course_create_sections_if_missing($course1, [0, 2]);
+        $formatwithsections = course_get_format($course2);
+        $viewurl = $formatwithsections->get_view_url(2);
+        $this->assertEquals(2, $viewurl->get_param('expandsection'));
+        $viewurl = $formatwithsections->get_view_url(2, ['expanded' => 1]);
+        $this->assertEquals(2, $viewurl->get_param('expandsection'));
+        $viewurl = $formatwithsections->get_view_url(2, ['expanded' => 0]);
+        $this->assertNull($viewurl->get_param('expandsection'));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -479,6 +499,27 @@ class format_testformat extends core_courseformat\base {
     }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Class format_testformatsections.
+ *
+ * A test class that simulates a course format with sections.
+ *
+ * @package   core_courseformat
+ * @copyright 2023 ISB Bayern
+ * @author    Philipp Memmel
+ * @license   http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ */
+class format_testformatsections extends core_courseformat\base {
+    /**
+     * Returns if this course format uses sections.
+     *
+     * @return true
+     */
+    public function uses_sections() {
+        return true;
+    }
+}
+
 /**
  * Class format_testlegacy.
  *
diff --git a/course/format/upgrade.txt b/course/format/upgrade.txt
index 77d4ef7dd8a..c10e69e1808 100644
--- a/course/format/upgrade.txt
+++ b/course/format/upgrade.txt
@@ -17,6 +17,14 @@ Overview of this plugin type at http://docs.moodle.org/dev/Course_formats
     - New overridable checkboxes: content/cm/bulkselect.mustache and content/section/bulkselect.mustache
 * Plugins can use the CSS class "bulk-hidden" to hide elements when the bulk editing is enabled.
 * New core_courseformat\base::duplicate_section method to duplicate course sections and their modules within a course.
+* The section renderer will now respect the new course view parameter 'expandsection'. If the course's view page
+  is being called with this parameter set to a section number, this section will be shown expanded.
+* core_courseformat\base::get_view_url() now by default returns a url for the *expanded* section. This can be
+  changed by adding ['expanded' => false] to the options parameter of get_view_url().
+* The newly introduced protected method core_courseformat\output\local\content\section::is_section_collapsed() now
+  should be used by format plugins to determine if a section should be rendered collapsed or expanded at first.
+  This method can also be overwritten by course formats, but should respect the new 'expandsection' parameter when
+  doing so.
 
 === 4.1 ===
 * New \core_courseformat\stateupdates methods add_section_remove() and add_cm_remove() have been added to replace
diff --git a/course/view.php b/course/view.php
index 49890b39a88..ed3c46c61ba 100644
--- a/course/view.php
+++ b/course/view.php
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
     $idnumber    = optional_param('idnumber', '', PARAM_RAW);
     $sectionid   = optional_param('sectionid', 0, PARAM_INT);
     $section     = optional_param('section', 0, PARAM_INT);
+    $expandsection = optional_param('expandsection', -1, PARAM_INT);
     $move        = optional_param('move', 0, PARAM_INT);
     $marker      = optional_param('marker',-1 , PARAM_INT);
     $switchrole  = optional_param('switchrole',-1, PARAM_INT); // Deprecated, use course/switchrole.php instead.
@@ -44,6 +45,9 @@
     if ($section) {
         $urlparams['section'] = $section;
     }
+    if ($expandsection !== -1) {
+        $urlparams['expandsection'] = $expandsection;
+    }
 
     $PAGE->set_url('/course/view.php', $urlparams); // Defined here to avoid notices on errors etc