This study endeavours to delineate the effectiveness of differentiated instruction in distance education by critically investigating the difficulties encountered during the implementation process. The research conducted utilizing the literature review method, explored how the determinants such as digital inequality, pedagogical knowledge deficiencies, and digital literacy put an impact on teaching processes in distance education. The results of the research accentuate that digital infrastructure deficiencies and differences in digital literacy levels negatively affect students' success and teachers' pedagogical knowledge deficiencies limit their ability to implement differentiated instruction. The findings in the literature emphasize the importance of strengthening digital literacy training and teachers' participation in continuous professional development programs. As a theoretical framework, studies on teaching theories and digital inequality were examined, and the role of differentiated instruction strategies in distance education was detailed. This study reveals that in order for differentiated instruction to be more effective in distance education, digital inequalities should be eliminated, pedagogical knowledge levels should be increased and digital literacy training should be strengthened.